Adult ADD and medicating with amphetamines?

i was recently diagnosed with ADD (25 years old) and decided to pursue medication because i am pursing my masters degree. i did well in school but only because writing and bull-shi**ing came easy to me. In the last 2 months i have been on Strattera (caused dysmenohrrea) Concerta (panic and anxiety) Adderall (worked great, but forgot to eat for a few days and passed out) and now Dexedrine (put me on such a low dose, it does nothing to help me)
On the adderall, my symptoms practically dissappeared except would have elevated irritability 4 hours after my dose. the PA i see will not prescribed Extended release for some strange reason and isn't considering Ritalin because i told him that once, in college, i took it for fun and it made me wired. the other suggestions aren't even indicated for ADD (narcolepsy) and i already have insomnia as it is. what med seems to work best for adult women with moderate ADD?

I have the same problem as you!! In undergrad I was just fine, cause i can b/s but now in med school its harder. I just take ADDERRAL before i have to study. So, like 2 days before the exam (when i really start cranking) i take adderall. I take like 10 mg which lasts about 4 hours, and then i take another 10 mg which lasts another 4-6 hours. Adderal works best for me that way. I dont take ADDERAL for any other time except when its time for me to study. I think its best that way. I do agree though, it makes me irritable too; however i accomplish my goal of sitting on my butt and studying and being able to concentrate. I tried Ritalin, it does'nt do anything for me really. So, just take it when you're studying; It works for me that way. In either case, no matter what you do, amphetamines are pretty nasty puppies. So..... its going to have side effects. My advice take low doses, when you need it..like before exams and when studying. Good luck!!

Aderoll wigs me out WAY more than Ritalin.
Two words. Shadow people...

the dexedrine seems to be the best out of all you have mentioned i don't know how much your taking because i switch back and forth from adderall to dexedrine when one or the other fades out. also, how much adderall were you taking then i can help!

I take adderall. They probably won't prescribe the extended release because it is VERY expensive. Strattera sucked. Here is the latest I found:
Nonstimulant Therapy

Strattera is the first nonstimulant approved for treatment of ADHD. Adderall XR, a psychostimulant medication, is also approved to treat adult ADHD.

Strattera and all the other nonstimulants are generally considered to be less effective than psychostimulants in the treatment of ADHD. The nonstimulants are considered second- and third-line medications.

Strattera works on the neurotransmitter (chemical in the brain that transmits nerve impulses) called norepinephrine. Like the stimulant drugs, Strattera is effective in treating and controlling ADHD symptoms, but it is not a controlled substance and people are less likely to abuse the drug or become dependent on it.

In addition, Strattera doesn't cause many of the potential side effects linked to psychostimulants, such as sleeplessness. However, Strattera can cause other side effects including abdominal pain, nausea, and drowsiness, especially when starting the medication. What Strattera does better than the stimulant medications is provide a longer and smoother action without the "roller coaster" effect of the stimulant starting to work and then wearing off.
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/89/...

I'm not an adult woman but I will say that Adderol is an amazing drug for studying. It will keep me up all night and I don't have an appetite but I do remember to eat something. when your takeing any medicine you have to pay attention to your body and make adjustments in your life. I'd go back to adderol XR and tie a string on your finger to eat

Absolutely NO Caffenine of any kind number one. No chocolate, no coke or diet coke or cola's. ADD Management Tools is waking up your brain. "ADD basically means that a part of your brain is asleep," Dr. Lawlis says. There are several ways to help your brain wake up, such as listening to music. "If you have energetic music that's going on around you, that will help you move through your day and remember things better and actually organize things better." Exercise is also critical. Get out and stimulating your body as well as your brain will also make a huge difference. Proper nutrition and supplements. "It's very important to have a lot of protein, B12 and B6," Dr. Lawlis explains. "I'm a very big proponent of eggs because it has choline in it and it's also very high in protein. by all means, eat a good protein breakfast. Tt's very important to integrate and balance your life as part of that."
Dr. Lawlis is the Author of The ADD Answer PsychoNeuroPlasticity Center in Texas.

This is probably the best thought out post yet. (and I don't care about the points) I am 35 and also have ADD I have tried Strattera but I didn't feel any different and neither could anyone else. I then tried Dextroamphetime and tried that several times and different dose and was either high or no change at all. The side effects of dextro were terrible for me. Dry mouth, and although the weight spression with dextro was good, it didn't do me good in the long run do to not eating at all. I thought what a great thing . Wrong. Addictive for that reason alone.

I don't take them at all anymore just because I am trying to deal with it until I can start up another trial. But, good luck, and I will follow this to find out if others have expeirence in this topic.