u/elleayejaye

Non stim suggestions?!

I’m getting ready to meet with my RX prescriber for my monthly check in. I’m currently on Adderall IR 20mg twice a day. As everyone here knows, it doesn’t do much and doesn’t last long. I’ve learned I’ve missed out on the “glory days” as I’m only 4 months in on my diagnosis.

I’m wondering, though, are there any non-stimulants i should ask for that can help in addition to the adderall that you all take? Not Wellbutrin, as that was horrific for me. Just looking to supplement with anything i can. Thank you in advance! I’m preparing for my monthly appointment with my prescription provider. I currently take Adderall IR 20mg twice daily. As many here recognize, it provides limited benefit and wears off quickly. Having started treatment only four months ago, I realize I missed the “glory days” of early diagnosis.

I’m curious, though—are there any non-stimulant options I should discuss adding to the Adderall that others use? Not Wellbutrin, since that experience was difficult for me. I’m simply hoping to find something supplementary. Thank you in advance!

Non stim suggestions?!

I’m getting ready to meet with my RX prescriber for my monthly check in. I’m currently on Adderall IR 20mg twice a day. As everyone here knows, it doesn’t do much and doesn’t last long. I’ve learned I’ve missed out on the “glory days” as I’m only 4 months in on my diagnosis.

I’m wondering, though, are there any non-stimulants i should ask for that can help in addition to the adderall that you all take? Not Wellbutrin, as that was horrific for me. Just looking to supplement with anything i can. Thank you in advance! I’m preparing for my monthly appointment with my prescription provider. I currently take Adderall IR 20mg twice daily. As many here recognize, it provides limited benefit and wears off quickly. Having started treatment only four months ago, I realize I missed the “glory days” of early diagnosis.

I’m curious, though—are there any non-stimulant options I should discuss adding to the Adderall that others use? Not Wellbutrin, since that experience was difficult for me. I’m simply hoping to find something supplementary. Thank you in advance!

I’m getting ready to meet with my RX prescriber for my monthly check in. I’m currently on Adderall IR 20mg twice a day. As everyone here knows, it doesn’t do much and doesn’t last long. I’ve learned I’ve missed out on the “glory days” as I’m only 4 months in on my diagnosis.

I’m wondering, though, are there any non-stimulants i should ask for that can help in addition to the adderall that you all take? Not Wellbutrin, as that was horrific for me. Just looking to supplement with anything i can. Thank you in advance! I’m preparing for my monthly appointment with my prescription provider. I currently take Adderall IR 20mg twice daily. As many here recognize, it provides limited benefit and wears off quickly. Having started treatment only four months ago, I realize I missed the “glory days” of early diagnosis.

I’m curious, though—are there any non-stimulant options I should discuss adding to the Adderall that others use? Not Wellbutrin, since that experience was difficult for me. I’m simply hoping to find something supplementary. Thank you in advance!

Had blood tests done this week. Haven’t heard from the dr yet. Is this concerning? Google is telling me both things - copper level too high causing copper toxicity and copper level too low lol

400 mcg/L

Anyone here try low dose naltrexone for adhd symptoms/fatigue/energy/focus?

My rheumatologist recommended this for me and some research says it could actually help with adhd related symptoms.

Just curious if anyone here has tried it and what your experience with it is if so.

I’m currently on Adderall 20mg IR twice a day but it goes through me so fast. Then i crash. I drink tons of water. Eat the protein. Take other supplements. Just wondering if this can help me.

Anyone here try low dose naltrexone for adhd symptoms/fatigue/energy/focus?

My rheumatologist recommended this for me and some research says it could actually help with adhd related symptoms.

Just curious if anyone here has tried it and what your experience with it is if so.

I’m currently on Adderall 20mg IR twice a day but it goes through me so fast. Then i crash. I drink tons of water. Eat the protein. Take other supplements. Just wondering if this can help me.

Anyone here try low dose naltrexone for adhd symptoms/fatigue/energy/focus?

My rheumatologist recommended this for me and some research says it could actually help with adhd related symptoms.

Just curious if anyone here has tried it and what your experience with it is if so.

I’m currently on Adderall 20mg IR twice a day but it goes through me so fast. Then i crash. I drink tons of water. Eat the protein. Take other supplements. Just wondering if this can help me.

My depression remained fairly managed for a while until recently—likely over the past two months—when it began increasing again, apparently without cause. My PCP raised my Pristiq from 50 to 100 about three weeks ago. Around the same time, I switched from Adderall 20mg XR in the morning and 15 IR in the afternoon to Adderall 20mg IR twice daily. I take vitamin D and a multivitamin with iron each day, along with monthly B-12 shots.

I’m considering whether I should add anything else for depression or ADHD. I can’t take Wellbutrin (a difficult experience). Has anyone had a comparable situation? I’ll certainly speak with my prescriber, but I’d appreciate some thoughts before our meeting.

I’m just exhausted from feeling like nothing helps. Pristiq was effective when I first began it (last December). Adderall worked when I started it four months ago. Now I’m severely depressed once more.

I’m getting really frustrated trying to figure out why my Adderall doesn’t seem to work as well as I think it should.

I had gastric bypass several years ago, so I already know absorption can be different. I’ve been researching and keep seeing that acidic drinks and citric acid may reduce the absorption or effectiveness of Adderall if consumed around the same time.

Here’s what my routine has looked like:

I was drinking an Alani energy drink right before taking my first dose of Adderall IR.
I sip Liquid IV throughout the day (which contains citric acid).
I also drink coffee pretty much all day.

Now I’m wondering if I’ve been unintentionally reducing how well my medication works this whole time.
I’ve read recommendations to avoid acidic drinks or vitamin C for 1–2 hours before and after taking Adderall, but if that’s true, I honestly don’t know how to make it work. I love my coffee, Alani, and Liquid IV, and staying hydrated is important to me. The thought of giving all of them up is really discouraging.

Has anyone else dealt with this?
Did changing when you drank coffee, energy drinks, or electrolyte drinks make a noticeable difference in how well your Adderall worked?
Did you completely stop drinking them, or did you just separate them from your medication by a couple of hours?
Have you found any electrolyte drinks that don’t contain citric acid?
If you’ve had gastric bypass, did you notice your Adderall became more effective after changing your drink routine?

I’m trying to figure out whether this could explain why my medication feels inconsistent or if I’m focusing on the wrong thing. I’d really appreciate hearing other people’s experiences and any suggestions you have.

Thanks in advance!

Hi! Recently diagnosed 38f. I see a therapist and a separate medication prescriber NP for my Adderall. Is it worthwhile to find an ADHD coach and/or therapist? I’m finding that, obviously, medication is only a tool and not a cure. My current therapist doesn’t seem to know how to “therapize” my ADHD-ness. I just want tips and advice and guidance on how to manage and be successful without relying solely on medication and just research. If that makes sense?

I’m just in a weird spot with a lot of emotions since my diagnosis and could really use someone experienced to help me through it I think. Would love to hear experiences!

Hi! Recently diagnosed 38f. I see a therapist and a separate medication prescriber NP for my Adderall. Is it worthwhile to find an ADHD coach and/or therapist? I’m finding that, obviously, medication is only a tool and not a cure. My current therapist doesn’t seem to know how to “therapize” my ADHD-ness. I just want tips and advice and guidance on how to manage and be successful without relying solely on medication and just research. If that makes sense?

I’m just in a weird spot with a lot of emotions since my diagnosis and could really use someone experienced to help me through it I think. Would love to hear experiences!

Hi! Recently diagnosed 38f. I see a therapist and a separate medication prescriber NP for my Adderall. Is it worthwhile to find an ADHD coach and/or therapist? I’m finding that, obviously, medication is only a tool and not a cure. My current therapist doesn’t seem to know how to “therapize” my ADHD-ness. I just want tips and advice and guidance on how to manage and be successful without relying solely on medication and just research. If that makes sense?

I’m just in a weird spot with a lot of emotions since my diagnosis and could really use someone experienced to help me through it I think. Would love to hear experiences!

Reposting from adhd forum. Anyone have experience?

Looking for advice from people who have been through ADHD medication trial-and-error, especially if you’ve had gastric bypass.

I’m a 38-year-old female and relatively new to ADHD treatment. I think this is my third month (possibly going into my fourth) of trying to find the right medication regimen.

I was previously taking Adderall IR 15mg twice daily. I liked the mental clarity, focus, motivation, and overall feeling of being “on,” but it went through me very fast and the crashes were rough. I so tried vyvanse with Adderall booster. Vyvanse felt like nothing and made me mean and gave me headaches.

My prescriber switched me to Adderall XR 20mg in the morning with a 15mg IR booster in the afternoon. The benefit is that I definitely don’t crash as hard. The downside is that I’m honestly not sure how much the XR is helping.

I know XR isn’t supposed to feel the same as IR and is designed to be smoother. I do get dry mouth, so I know something is happening, but I don’t really feel the mental clarity, focus, motivation, or task initiation that I felt on the IR. I’m still tired most of the day, and sometimes it feels like the XR only lasts 3-4 hours.

I had gastric bypass surgery about two years ago, so I’ve wondered whether absorption or metabolism could be playing a role.

My prescriber has said she doesn’t want to increase doses too quickly and wanted me to stay on this regimen for a while if possible, which I understand. I’m just not sure if I’m where I need to be yet.

I’ve actually felt a little more down, less motivated, and less productive on the XR + IR combination compared to the two IR doses, although the reduced crash has been nice.

For those who have experienced something similar:

• Did XR eventually work better after more time?
• Did you end up needing a higher XR dose?
• Did you switch back to IR?
• Has anyone done three IR doses per day?
• Has gastric bypass affected how your ADHD medications work?

I’m not looking for medical advice or trying to tell my prescriber what to prescribe. I’m mostly trying to understand other people’s experiences so I can have a better conversation with her at my next appointment.

For context, I get adequate protein, electrolytes, and sleep when possible. I also take magnesium, L-theanine, and creatine. I’m still learning about ADHD treatment and trying to figure out what “working” is supposed to feel like.

If you were in my shoes, what would you discuss with your prescriber?

Reposting from adhd forum. Anyone have experience?

Looking for advice from people who have been through ADHD medication trial-and-error, especially if you’ve had gastric bypass.

I’m a 38-year-old female and relatively new to ADHD treatment. I think this is my third month (possibly going into my fourth) of trying to find the right medication regimen.

I was previously taking Adderall IR 15mg twice daily. I liked the mental clarity, focus, motivation, and overall feeling of being “on,” but it went through me very fast and the crashes were rough. I so tried vyvanse with Adderall booster. Vyvanse felt like nothing and made me mean and gave me headaches.

My prescriber switched me to Adderall XR 20mg in the morning with a 15mg IR booster in the afternoon. The benefit is that I definitely don’t crash as hard. The downside is that I’m honestly not sure how much the XR is helping.

I know XR isn’t supposed to feel the same as IR and is designed to be smoother. I do get dry mouth, so I know something is happening, but I don’t really feel the mental clarity, focus, motivation, or task initiation that I felt on the IR. I’m still tired most of the day, and sometimes it feels like the XR only lasts 3-4 hours.

I had gastric bypass surgery about two years ago, so I’ve wondered whether absorption or metabolism could be playing a role.

My prescriber has said she doesn’t want to increase doses too quickly and wanted me to stay on this regimen for a while if possible, which I understand. I’m just not sure if I’m where I need to be yet.

I’ve actually felt a little more down, less motivated, and less productive on the XR + IR combination compared to the two IR doses, although the reduced crash has been nice.

For those who have experienced something similar:

• Did XR eventually work better after more time?
• Did you end up needing a higher XR dose?
• Did you switch back to IR?
• Has anyone done three IR doses per day?
• Has gastric bypass affected how your ADHD medications work?

I’m not looking for medical advice or trying to tell my prescriber what to prescribe. I’m mostly trying to understand other people’s experiences so I can have a better conversation with her at my next appointment.

For context, I get adequate protein, electrolytes, and sleep when possible. I also take magnesium, L-theanine, and creatine. I’m still learning about ADHD treatment and trying to figure out what “working” is supposed to feel like.

If you were in my shoes, what would you discuss with your prescriber?

Looking for advice from people who have been through ADHD medication trial-and-error, especially if you’ve had gastric bypass.

I’m a 38-year-old female and relatively new to ADHD treatment. I think this is my third month (possibly going into my fourth) of trying to find the right medication regimen.

I was previously taking Adderall IR 15mg twice daily. I liked the mental clarity, focus, motivation, and overall feeling of being “on,” but it went through me very fast and the crashes were rough.

My prescriber switched me to Adderall XR 20mg in the morning with a 15mg IR booster in the afternoon. The benefit is that I definitely don’t crash as hard. The downside is that I’m honestly not sure how much the XR is helping.

I know XR isn’t supposed to feel the same as IR and is designed to be smoother. I do get dry mouth, so I know something is happening, but I don’t really feel the mental clarity, focus, motivation, or task initiation that I felt on the IR. I’m still tired most of the day, and sometimes it feels like the XR only lasts 3-4 hours.

I had gastric bypass surgery about two years ago, so I’ve wondered whether absorption or metabolism could be playing a role.

My prescriber has said she doesn’t want to increase doses too quickly and wanted me to stay on this regimen for a while if possible, which I understand. I’m just not sure if I’m where I need to be yet.

I’ve actually felt a little more down, less motivated, and less productive on the XR + IR combination compared to the two IR doses, although the reduced crash has been nice.

For those who have experienced something similar:

• Did XR eventually work better after more time?
• Did you end up needing a higher XR dose?
• Did you switch back to IR?
• Has anyone done three IR doses per day?
• Has gastric bypass affected how your ADHD medications work?

I’m not looking for medical advice or trying to tell my prescriber what to prescribe. I’m mostly trying to understand other people’s experiences so I can have a better conversation with her at my next appointment.

For context, I get adequate protein, electrolytes, and sleep when possible. I also take magnesium, L-theanine, and creatine. I’m still learning about ADHD treatment and trying to figure out what “working” is supposed to feel like.

If you were in my shoes, what would you discuss with your prescriber?

Looking for advice from people who have experience with ADHD meds, especially after gastric bypass.

I’m a 38-year-old female and have been trying to find the right ADHD medication for the last few months. I was previously on Adderall IR 15mg twice daily. I liked the mental clarity, focus, motivation, and overall feeling, but it wore off quickly and the crashes were rough.

My prescriber switched me to Adderall XR 20mg in the morning and a 15mg IR booster in the afternoon. The good part is that the crashes are much better. The bad part is that I’m not sure the XR is helping enough.
I know XR isn’t supposed to feel like IR, but I don’t notice the same clarity, focus, motivation, or ability to start tasks. I’m still tired most days. Sometimes it feels like the XR only lasts 3-4 hours. I do get dry mouth, so I know it’s doing something.

I had gastric bypass about two years ago, so I’ve wondered if absorption could be affecting things.
My prescriber wanted me to stay on this regimen for a while rather than increase doses too quickly, which I understand. I’m just not sure if this is as good as it gets or if I should bring up other options.

Has anyone experienced something similar?
Did XR work better with time?
Did you need a higher XR dose?
Did you switch back to IR?
Has anyone taken IR 3 times per day?
Did gastric bypass affect your ADHD meds?

I’m not looking for medical advice, just personal experiences so I can have a better conversation with my prescriber.

If you were in my shoes, what would you ask about at your next appointment?

38F here, had gastric bypass a few years ago and trying to figure out if what I’m experiencing with stimulants is normal or if I should be asking for a change at my next appointment.

Right now I’m on Adderall IR 15mg twice a day (usually around 10am and 2pm). It definitely helps compared to my baseline — I feel a bit calmer and a little more capable — but it’s not consistent and it doesn’t feel like it fully “gets me there.”

What I’m noticing:

It doesn’t seem to last the full 4 hours. Feels like it fades early.
Some days it helps more than others, but a lot of the time I’m still tired, foggy, and overwhelmed.
I still get that stuck / can’t-start-tasks feeling, just slightly less intense.

It actually worked better the first week or two than it does now.

I don’t feel wired or anxious — if anything I still feel kind of low energy.

For context, I did try Vyvanse with an Adderall IR booster for about a week before this, and honestly didn’t feel much benefit at all. I was more irritable and had pretty bad headaches, so we stopped that.

I’m also wondering if my gastric bypass is affecting absorption or how quickly meds wear off.

I have an appointment coming up and want to go in with a clear idea of what to ask. I’m not trying to chase a higher dose — I just want something that works more consistently throughout the day.

Has anyone had a similar experience?

Did it end up being a dose issue, timing, switching meds, or something else?

Would really appreciate hearing what worked for you.