Generic Name: Dexedrine for ADHD (dextroamphetamine)
Dexedrine for ADHD Reviews
"I have visited this site for years reviewing people’s posts, always in hope that just maybe that medication would work for my severe inattentive ADHD and narcolepsy. I’ve been on Vyvanse, Adderall IR and XR, Focalin IR and XR, any med you can name I’ve probably been prescribed. I am here to tell those that feel uncertain about this med and have suffered for years with the side effects from other meds that dextroamphetamine has changed my life. I went from an anxious, failing college student to graduating, being able to socialize like I always knew I was capable of, and pursuing my dream career (and no side effects). If anyone can relate to this post I hope it helps you. Don’t give up hope!"
"This medication is hard to find, which is unfortunate because, quite simply, it works on some ADHD people when other more common medications do not. Dextroamphetamine (generic)/Zenzedi (brand name) acts more on dopamine than norepinephrine. Adderall, which is dextroamp and levoamp, the latter affecting mostly norepinephrine, made me tired and flat--and hungry. Kind of a paradoxical reaction. It helped my emotional overreactivity, but not other ADHD symptoms like initiation of tasks and related anxiety/irritability, procrastination, and negative ruminations (mentally getting 'stuck'). Obviously, my brain needs help with dopamine, and too much norepinephrine is dulling and unpleasantly sedating. Those with similar reactions to Adderall (and/or methylphenidates like Ritalin) might want to give Dextroamphetamine a try. It feels like a totally different class of medication than Adderall to my (admittedly atypical) brain, and works great."
"Teva's 5/10 mg Dexedrine tablets appear tainted and/or lack the correct active ingredient. It doesn't control symptoms and makes me feel miserable, hostile, and angry. I've been taking Dexedrine for years, allowing me to function well except for the Teva brand. All generics are not the same. I had the same problem with Teva Dexedrine a few years ago and switched pharmacies. Other generic Dexedrines worked for another 3 years. This month, it was again not working, making me feel miserable and not controlling symptoms. The manufacturer was not on the bottle, so I called the pharmacy. Yup, Teva! I've had more than 36 bottles of Dexedrine since the previous negative experience; none were Teva and all worked. Out of 36 vials, one did not work and made me feel miserable, and the only one was Teva. The odds (0.028) are too long for coincidence or expectancy effect. There's something wrong with the 5/10 mg tablets of Teva's Dexedrine. Teva is tainted or there's some other problem with it. Avoid!"
"Great medicine, I recently restarted this medicine after 10 years and I feel normal again. This medicine has given me great peace in my life. I feel calm and collected, and I'm quickly understanding what it's like to have 'free time'. I insist that people who find results using this medicine ensure those in government understand the increase in quality of life we are all experiencing. I've rated this medicine 10/10 purely because any cons I've experienced are meaningless compared to being given a life."
"This is the one—and I only wish I'd found it 20 years ago. I have been on and off Adderall for years, though I never loved it. I had a hard time being compliant taking it because I never felt like myself. After that, I tried Ritalin, but whoa, I don't want that experience again unless it's 2 AM at a rave! Years later, a psych doc told me that she thought Dexedrine might be the ticket. I finally picked up a prescription a few days ago, and wow. Unmedicated, it's like I have an angry, frustrated, and stressed-out little leprechaun inside me, and on the Dexedrine, he's slowly being replaced by a peaceful Buddha—and believe me, I've never experienced 'Peaceful Buddha' before in my life—except maybe when I'm in nature on my mountain bike, etc. If you're not loving Adderall for similar reasons, I highly recommend trying the Dex. It's been a revelation. I rated it only 9 stars because I feel spacey for the first few hours."
"This is a wonderful medication. I am so happy I switched from Adderall. I find the focus and concentration to be awesome. Without a doubt, it is the cleanest feeling ADHD medication on the market. If you have co-morbid anxiety disorders, this is the medicine to go for. I always felt anxious on Adderall or Ritalin, but the Dexedrine is so smooth that I find my anxiety is being helped! I would definitely recommend this to anyone who has ADHD, especially when others have caused increased agitation. I believe this is the best ADHD medicine on the market."
"I have taken pretty much every type of medication for ADHD. Dextroamphetamine, by far, works best for me. While Adderall contains dextroamphetamine, the l-amphetamine, and it gives me very bad anxiety. Dextroamphetamine helps me focus without causing extra anxiety, and I prefer the instant release, which allows me to fall asleep. Ritalin caused anxiety even worse than Adderall did. One thing I recommend is to take a day or two off every week or so. If not, your tolerance might build up, and you might find the medication is not working. Also, you need to learn to pay attention to your body's other signals telling you when to eat. You probably will not feel hungry, and your stomach. This does not mean you don't need food, however."
"I'm 46 and was diagnosed with ADHD 2 times when I was a kid but never took the medicine. My life's always felt out of control and an emotional roller coaster. I tried Adderall first, but it made me too jumpy. I switched to Dextroamphetamine, and once I got past the first week and up to my 20 mg a day, everything became so much easier to deal with in life. Less stress, better sleep at night, and makes me feel 'normal'. Best medicine in the world, but the cost is absolutely ridiculous as I have no insurance."
"I would suggest anyone on this, to stop or take a break once you've noticed your reasoning, memory recall abilities becoming hindered. Even though I'm happy with the benefits of focus, it's not worth losing your short-term memory. Over time, I noticed my math skills declined, followed by my word recall, spelling, and now I can't remember stories or study material. It's extremely debilitating, I'm trying to figure out how to reverse the side effects."
"My son is now 9. Since 4 years old, we have tried every single (literally!) ADHD medication on the market, and every single (literally!) medication was never without any serious side effects. My son's specialist suggested Dexedrine as the very last alternative before trying antidepressants. I was hopelessly optimistic, but this medication is truly a gift. I don't know how else to describe it other than being 'smooth' and without it I don't know what we would do. His specialist basically said this medicine is a more pure form of amphetamine than the other name brands on the market. If you have tried medicine after medicine... give this a try. It has saved my son and our family."
"Been on Vyvanse for 3 years, Adderall XL, & Adderall for another 3 years with limited success. I take a lot of other medications for mania & am always tired in addition to lacking focus... for the first time in years, I can watch a movie, read a book, make it through multitasking a workday. Maybe this is what normal is meant to feel like—a world without yawns and easy distractions? Have I truly found a way to make it through a two-hour movie? I think a new chapter in my life just opened..."
"I was diagnosed with ADHD six months ago. I am 30 years old. My whole life has been a big problem with taking school, finance, and friendship seriously. I have, on the other hand, been a person with a good mood, charm, and a sense of adventure. All these are good qualities you think? Not really. I've developed alcoholism, I've never had a financial surplus, I've lost touch with most of my good friends, and I've never accomplished anything I've set myself the goal of. I began to understand why my life has become so miserable. I started exposing myself to all kinds of things - for the first time I felt solid - a sense of integrity. At the same time, it was a great stress. After a month, I began to think that my whole life had just been a big joke. Before you start taking this medicine: Be prepared to experience identity disorder. NEGATIVE: My hair has gone from thick to thin, my skin is not so smooth anymore, and sometimes sleep can be very difficult."
"Adderall 30mg/day = you feel like a genius, work hard, EYES OPEN WIDE. But at the end of the work day, I still couldn't stop myself from falling asleep on the skytrain at around 4:30 pm when I try to read. Don't think it helped much with depression and anxiety. Dexedrine 3 10mg/day = You have tunnel vision, Focused, block out distractions, helps with my severe anxiety. I think the depression is pretty under control too. Can read all day if I want. Could have really used this when I began my studies, 4 years ago! Not a month ago, with one course.... Either one, I think you perform better at work and school, but Adderall just wore off, so studying after work, you would still need coffee, or a power nap"
"I have no official diagnosis yet. I don't remember ever feeling so at peace. My mind is still. I can breathe for the first time. I relax like never before. A wee bit sleepy. This will make me a better, much happier person instead of who I was: someone who was always racing around in circles, chasing my tail."
"So I started Zoloft in my 20s, it worked really great for a couple of years. So when I got any depression flare-ups again, I was put on antidepressants, but noticed they weren’t working anymore. I still feel those symptoms: sadness, low self-esteem, no energy to do anything, forgetting things, procrastinating a lot, hard to concentrate and finish a task. I wondered if I had ADD. It all pointed to Adult ADD. I told my doc of my beliefs and maybe I was misdiagnosed. I tried more antidepressants which were having no effect. Then my therapist convinced my doctor to prescribe me Dexedrine 10mg just in the morning. The first day I took my pill, my eyes were open, the energy was there, and I couldn’t believe it worked. Now, on the 3rd day with just one 10mg pill in the morning, it stopped working. In my opinion, I believe a lot of people are misdiagnosed, thinking they have depression instead of ADD or ADHD."
"The very best ADHD medicine I’ve tried! I started out on methylphenidate, which did absolutely nothing for me, then switched to Adderall, which worked but caused me anxiety quite often. After being on Adderall for a while, I did my own research and came across Dexedrine/dextroamphetamine and how tons of people who struggled with anxiety on other ADHD meds loved it. I asked my doctor to switch, and I am so thankful that I did!! With Dexedrine, I don’t feel anxious or jittery, but have tons of drive and focus to get things done! I have to point out, for those of you who like Adderall and the “speedy“ feeling you get from it, then Dexedrine may not be for you. However, if you are like me and don’t like feeling like you’ve taken a narcotic stimulant, then you should certainly try Dexedrine/dextroamphetamine… You won’t regret it!! It feels far more natural for me personally than Adderall ever did. I am so thankful for this medication!"
"After 38 years of thinking my brain was broken, I finally have found relief for the constant overthinking, anxiety, and racing thoughts. My whole life I’ve been an anxious person but still managed to do well in school and become a medical professional. It never occurred to me or my family that I was suffering from severe hyperactivity. I was constantly restless, had chronic insomnia, and was obsessed about food. I always assumed I just had an anxiety disorder and didn’t know how to shut my brain off. I had tried SSRIs, Xanax, supplements. Nothing seemed to work and usually just made me feel worse. It wasn’t until I tried Wellbutrin and passed out for 8 hours that my treating doctor suspected I might have ADHD. I was given an evaluation and took my first stimulant (Adderall) and behold, I fell asleep within 30 minutes. Adderall made me too foggy and tired, Ritalin made me tired and had heart palpitations, but Dexedrine has been quite literally perfect. It’s changed my life."
"No buzz, no crash, just adds the focus I need to overcome my ADD (not hyperactive) and get things done. I don't need to have the gun of a deadline on my head to start and complete quality work. I always knew I had good intellectual potential, but I was diffuse like a lens out of focus. This enables me to deliver my full measure since 2010. My MD had me trial Vyvanse, Ritalin, Adderall, and Dexedrine. While all helped me with ADD symptoms, Dexedrine is the one that does not have any detrimental side effects and feels the cleanest (does not change my behavior, my head feels normal but focused). I also like the possibility of getting 'off' the medication if I don't have anything important in the afternoon, I just will not take the noon pill. It also helped me keep my tolerance down over the years. I am still at 5 mg twice a day. My BP is 120/80, I am physically active at 50 years old. All men starting stimulant meds: check your hair and get appropriate preventative hair loss treatment EARLY!"
"Have been on dextroamphetamine for a very long time for ADHD. Started with the name brand but switched to generic due to costs. Generics appear to vary widely. Neither Teva nor Aurobindo work for me at all. Worthless for me. Mallinckrodt works, as does the brand name, but I can't access Mallinckrodt. Someone has suggested Zenzedi (tablet, not capsule). It is a generic-simply named. Anyone have any experience with it? Anyone have a similar experience with Teva or Aurobindo? Either the inactive ingredients are sufficiently different to cause problems for me, or they don't include the same dosage of the active ingredient. Anyone know which? Dexedrine itself has made a huge difference in my life."
"Have been taking Dexedrine spansules (10 mg) for over 2 years, three times per day. I never knew I had rank ADHD all my life - problems with school, the law. I am 47 and have noticed my ambition for life has increased, having more energy. I used to be tired a lot, complaining, generally overall agitated. At the same time, I have many comorbidities to deal with but fortunately don't have to take any anxiety meds. Dexedrine is all I know, and I am satisfied with the results."
"I wouldn't use any other type of ADHD medication! Adderall & many of the newer ADHD medications cause agitation & symptoms that make my condition worse. If I didn't use Dexedrine, I wouldn't take medication to treat my ADHD! More people need to educate themselves on how to treat ADHD."
"I am 20 and was only diagnosed with ADHD about 6 months ago. I tried Ritalin first and it did nothing for me, but then I was prescribed Dexedrine and it has been a lifesaver. There's definitely some odd but kind of fun side effects for me. I get extremely into whatever I'm doing, which is super helpful for school, but sometimes a bit awkward in social situations because I enjoy conversation a little too much and worry that I annoy people. It makes me really ambitious and I feel the need to learn/accomplish things while I'm on it, but not physical things unfortunately, like working out or cleaning, haha. I usually start doing homework, planning things, or doing research. It's going to help me succeed in school so much more now."
"Tried Adderall, Ritalin, etc. Since I have co-morbid anxiety, they made me 'tweak'. Very anxiety-provoking. Dexedrine, however, proved to be the exception. Its feel is more relaxed and focused. I take less of my Klonopin and Xanax because of the feeling of control and the ability 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."
"Treatment for ADHD saved my life. Don't believe all the hype and the stigma around this diagnosis and treatment. It is a real condition, there is real treatment, and it makes a real and profound difference to the lives of people with this debilitating condition. So don't be afraid to seek help if you think you might have ADHD. It is not just a childhood illness, in my opinion, it generally persists in some form for the duration of your life just like any other disease."
"Dexedrine is a superb medication for controlling ADHD impulsivity. It's a 100% smooth and clean ride compared to Adderall. Unfortunately for me though, I lack motivation, so Adderall is a better choice for me. I did rate this based on symptom control. If Dexedrine motivated like Adderall does, it would literally be the perfect medication. Pros: Superior focus, reduced impulsive decisions the best. Side effects are minimal compared to Adderall. Cons: Lacks motivational kick that Adderall delivers. Only comes in 5mg, 10mg, & 15mg capsules and is expensive."
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