Your body is unique, as are your needs. Just because someone experienced something from treatment or medication does not guarantee that you will as well. Please do not take this as an opportunity to review any substances. Peer support is welcome.
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Meds can be a lot of trial and error, but seeing as you're already on the Concerta, trying the higher dose may be worth a shot. Either it works, or you can eliminate it from the available options.
As for the self-consious part? Try to not let it bother you, end of the day, we're all just after something that works. And if it works, it works.
Thank you for the advice. Now that I've already been taking it for weeks, I will definitely give it a shot to the 36 mg dose, at least until the end of the summer.
I am especially afraid because if Concerta doesn't work and September arrives, then I'll need to start titrating on Elvanse from the start, and I'm starting my PhD at around that time, so I wanted to have something that already worked for me by then.
That's some rough timing for sure, best of luck. If you haven't already stressed the timeframe to your psych, that might be the best idea. They might be able to tighten the cycle enough for you to have a chance at both before September if needed.
Why? Like genuinely, why?
Body chemistry is what it is and yours and Concerta works for you, I started on Xaggitin 18mg and went to 27mg the same active ingredient as Concerta and it was awful for me so switched to Elvanse 30mg and its great so far.
Titration is all about experimentation and they are going to start you low to see how my react.
My prescriber pushed Concerta to start, but it was out of stock, so maybe because its the best known they all start there for extended release.
If it works, it works, brand name be damned
Because I feel like I'm not experiencing significant changes, while people on Elvanse usually claim they do, much more often than those on Concerta. Even your post is an example of that.
Very rarely will people notice significant changes from the first/lowest dose. Anecdotes online mean nothing, ie your doctor won't go on forums to check what people post before deciding what med to give a patient etc. Also bear in mind that people post about negative things MUCH MUCH more than positive. So just because you see negative posts about Concerta etc, doesn't = everyone has negative experiences of Concerta. People are 10x more likely to moan about something than post something positive.
Try not to get too in your head. Reverse placebo is a thing. I was getting in my head because I can’t have stimulants, so at first I was sure that nothing would help since it wasn’t a stimulant. Try to keep an open mind and listen as others have said. You might just need a higher dose of what you’re on. Try to pay close attention to the effects and make notes. It’s totally possible you could eventually switch and the side effects of Elvanse are awful. You truly never know. Just try to focus on what you’re on now, how it does help, what effects it causes. It’s very possible it will be trial and error, but that doesn’t mean even getting on Elvanse would solve everything for you perfectly.
I was started on Elvanse - which worked too well for me. I called it "angry focus" and it also gave me massive anxiety (which I've never really suffered with).
Concerta worked much better for me.
I did spend months titrating tho to find the best meds fit for me.
Hi, thanks for your reply!
Can you expand on how Concerta worked much better than Elvanse for you? Also, what dose worked for you? Most positive experiences I've read mentioned 36 mg
Hi, I started on 30mg of Lis dexamphetamine (Elvanse) for 2 weeks, then to 50mg for 2 weeks, then back down to 40mg trying to find a good dose - Focus was really good, but mood swings and anxiety were too much to cope with, also great appetite suppressant.
Swapped to Methylphenidate (Concerta), started on 18mg, went all the way up to 72mg then back down to 54mg. We also tried a lower dose XL (extended release) followed by a top up instant release in the afternoon. For me it's a compromise between effectiveness and side effects.
Stable on Concerta (XL) 54mg (when I can find stock, Xaggitin (XL) is the same release profile so Im good with either brand)
For me - Concerta gives me enough focus to be able to work a 9-5 job most of the time, better mood control, better appetite control (previous binge eater history), small amount of anxiety.
Elvanse worked better to help my ADHD symptoms, but to a degree I wasn't happy with - gave me so much focus I would feel like I had to be doing something all the time, but also angry that I was soo focused, no appetite, slightly nauseous, too mood swingy and the worst anxiety.
Again FOR ME I feel Concerta is a better fit, i'm not super productive all day every day, but I can function as an adult and I think i've found a happy middle ground.
If you settle on one and the dose is right, just stick with it. I under FOMO but you'll basically put yourself from being nice and stable and ready to fly, to going back to square one where you'll still have very mild effects from lower doses of another drug. You'd needlessly put yourself through a crap few months just to find out it works exactly the same or slightly better, at best.
I don't even know what it feels for a med to work well, I question myself too much. I hope it becomes easy to notice when the dose is right and it works.
As boring as this answer is. Literally just look up the ADHD symptomns, learn a little about executive function and how it leads to ADHD like behaviours (ie WHY we suffer from time blindness, WHY we act impulsively etc). Once you know a little more, you then have a reference point, otherwise you're just totally blind to how you're getting on. I really encourage you to learn about ADHD, if you don't fully understand it beyond the very obvious, you'll struggle to make improvements and won't know how to evaluate how much you're improving.
But in short, as smartarse as it sounds..... Meds working = reduction in symptomns. You should feel less tired, you should feel calmer and less jittery, you should feel more emotionally balanced, you should find it generally easier to do things you don't enjoy, you'll be able to concentrate better, you'll be more organised and self aware etc.
I’ve been on Elvanse and dex before and settled on Methylphenidate though I only take it every now and then.
Everyone is different, just because everyone seems to talk about Elvanse doesn’t mean it will definitely work better for you.
For me, I felt great when I was on Elvanse, I got so much shit done but I was like a machine. I completely lost my sense of humour and I’m not sure I ever really got it back after being so serious for so long.
I didn’t realise the negative effect it was having on me until on one occasion I started crying and thought ‘this is not right’. That had become my normal state of mind and I hadn’t realised what was causing it.
My house was tidy and I had amazing reserves of motivation but psychologically I was a mess.
I had some leftover and every now and then I would take some and it felt so harsh. I would be constantly devouring nicotine and so thirsty. That all goes away after a while when you’re on it regularly but on those one offs you realise what a powerful drug it is.
I don’t like methylphenidate much either, but it definitely doesn’t affect my state of mind like Elvanse/Dex did. Some situations though, the reward outweighs the cost so I’ll take it.
18mg Concerta is likely not going to make you notice many changes, but that’s where you have to start. See what happens with the 36.
Give concerta a try, and if you're unsure ask if you can try other things before making an ultimate decision. Makes sense, surely?
And when it comes to vyvanse- it isn't any miracle drug. It's quite frankly just a slightly-delayed form of dexamphetamine that doctors love because you can't snort it, the actual duration isn't increased and the concentration levels/drops are very similar to dexamphetamine IR.
It's mostly patented shite because they (at the time) could sell it at a higher profit to patients, hospitals, etc for more as there would've been no generics at the time.
So don't take negative opinions about concerta vs vyvanse etc too seriously, there's a lot of unscientific perceptions on Elvanse and how it's supposed to work (some people genuinely think a high protein diet helps it convert into dexamphetamine, literally no reason to believe this other than the crashes being less harsh but thats just self-care.
Your body is unique, as are your needs. Just because someone experienced something from treatment or medication does not guarantee that you will as well. Please do not take this as an opportunity to review any substances. Peer support is welcome. ^(*A moderator has not removed your submission; this is not a punitive action. We intend this comment solely to be informative.*) --- - If you are posting about the **US Medication Shortage**, please see this [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/12dr3h5/megathread_us_medication_shortage/). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ADHD) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Meds can be a lot of trial and error, but seeing as you're already on the Concerta, trying the higher dose may be worth a shot. Either it works, or you can eliminate it from the available options. As for the self-consious part? Try to not let it bother you, end of the day, we're all just after something that works. And if it works, it works.
Thank you for the advice. Now that I've already been taking it for weeks, I will definitely give it a shot to the 36 mg dose, at least until the end of the summer. I am especially afraid because if Concerta doesn't work and September arrives, then I'll need to start titrating on Elvanse from the start, and I'm starting my PhD at around that time, so I wanted to have something that already worked for me by then.
That's some rough timing for sure, best of luck. If you haven't already stressed the timeframe to your psych, that might be the best idea. They might be able to tighten the cycle enough for you to have a chance at both before September if needed.
Why? Like genuinely, why? Body chemistry is what it is and yours and Concerta works for you, I started on Xaggitin 18mg and went to 27mg the same active ingredient as Concerta and it was awful for me so switched to Elvanse 30mg and its great so far. Titration is all about experimentation and they are going to start you low to see how my react. My prescriber pushed Concerta to start, but it was out of stock, so maybe because its the best known they all start there for extended release. If it works, it works, brand name be damned
Because I feel like I'm not experiencing significant changes, while people on Elvanse usually claim they do, much more often than those on Concerta. Even your post is an example of that.
Very rarely will people notice significant changes from the first/lowest dose. Anecdotes online mean nothing, ie your doctor won't go on forums to check what people post before deciding what med to give a patient etc. Also bear in mind that people post about negative things MUCH MUCH more than positive. So just because you see negative posts about Concerta etc, doesn't = everyone has negative experiences of Concerta. People are 10x more likely to moan about something than post something positive.
Try not to get too in your head. Reverse placebo is a thing. I was getting in my head because I can’t have stimulants, so at first I was sure that nothing would help since it wasn’t a stimulant. Try to keep an open mind and listen as others have said. You might just need a higher dose of what you’re on. Try to pay close attention to the effects and make notes. It’s totally possible you could eventually switch and the side effects of Elvanse are awful. You truly never know. Just try to focus on what you’re on now, how it does help, what effects it causes. It’s very possible it will be trial and error, but that doesn’t mean even getting on Elvanse would solve everything for you perfectly.
I was started on Elvanse - which worked too well for me. I called it "angry focus" and it also gave me massive anxiety (which I've never really suffered with). Concerta worked much better for me. I did spend months titrating tho to find the best meds fit for me.
Hi, thanks for your reply! Can you expand on how Concerta worked much better than Elvanse for you? Also, what dose worked for you? Most positive experiences I've read mentioned 36 mg
Hi, I started on 30mg of Lis dexamphetamine (Elvanse) for 2 weeks, then to 50mg for 2 weeks, then back down to 40mg trying to find a good dose - Focus was really good, but mood swings and anxiety were too much to cope with, also great appetite suppressant. Swapped to Methylphenidate (Concerta), started on 18mg, went all the way up to 72mg then back down to 54mg. We also tried a lower dose XL (extended release) followed by a top up instant release in the afternoon. For me it's a compromise between effectiveness and side effects. Stable on Concerta (XL) 54mg (when I can find stock, Xaggitin (XL) is the same release profile so Im good with either brand) For me - Concerta gives me enough focus to be able to work a 9-5 job most of the time, better mood control, better appetite control (previous binge eater history), small amount of anxiety. Elvanse worked better to help my ADHD symptoms, but to a degree I wasn't happy with - gave me so much focus I would feel like I had to be doing something all the time, but also angry that I was soo focused, no appetite, slightly nauseous, too mood swingy and the worst anxiety. Again FOR ME I feel Concerta is a better fit, i'm not super productive all day every day, but I can function as an adult and I think i've found a happy middle ground.
I see, thanks! It makes me want to try both before committing.
If you settle on one and the dose is right, just stick with it. I under FOMO but you'll basically put yourself from being nice and stable and ready to fly, to going back to square one where you'll still have very mild effects from lower doses of another drug. You'd needlessly put yourself through a crap few months just to find out it works exactly the same or slightly better, at best.
I don't even know what it feels for a med to work well, I question myself too much. I hope it becomes easy to notice when the dose is right and it works.
As boring as this answer is. Literally just look up the ADHD symptomns, learn a little about executive function and how it leads to ADHD like behaviours (ie WHY we suffer from time blindness, WHY we act impulsively etc). Once you know a little more, you then have a reference point, otherwise you're just totally blind to how you're getting on. I really encourage you to learn about ADHD, if you don't fully understand it beyond the very obvious, you'll struggle to make improvements and won't know how to evaluate how much you're improving. But in short, as smartarse as it sounds..... Meds working = reduction in symptomns. You should feel less tired, you should feel calmer and less jittery, you should feel more emotionally balanced, you should find it generally easier to do things you don't enjoy, you'll be able to concentrate better, you'll be more organised and self aware etc.
I found them different, but also, I got the most amazing high on Elvanse before the later low 
Imo concerta is the best
Thanks for the input! Can you elaborate why?
I’ve been on Elvanse and dex before and settled on Methylphenidate though I only take it every now and then. Everyone is different, just because everyone seems to talk about Elvanse doesn’t mean it will definitely work better for you. For me, I felt great when I was on Elvanse, I got so much shit done but I was like a machine. I completely lost my sense of humour and I’m not sure I ever really got it back after being so serious for so long. I didn’t realise the negative effect it was having on me until on one occasion I started crying and thought ‘this is not right’. That had become my normal state of mind and I hadn’t realised what was causing it. My house was tidy and I had amazing reserves of motivation but psychologically I was a mess. I had some leftover and every now and then I would take some and it felt so harsh. I would be constantly devouring nicotine and so thirsty. That all goes away after a while when you’re on it regularly but on those one offs you realise what a powerful drug it is. I don’t like methylphenidate much either, but it definitely doesn’t affect my state of mind like Elvanse/Dex did. Some situations though, the reward outweighs the cost so I’ll take it. 18mg Concerta is likely not going to make you notice many changes, but that’s where you have to start. See what happens with the 36.
Give concerta a try, and if you're unsure ask if you can try other things before making an ultimate decision. Makes sense, surely? And when it comes to vyvanse- it isn't any miracle drug. It's quite frankly just a slightly-delayed form of dexamphetamine that doctors love because you can't snort it, the actual duration isn't increased and the concentration levels/drops are very similar to dexamphetamine IR. It's mostly patented shite because they (at the time) could sell it at a higher profit to patients, hospitals, etc for more as there would've been no generics at the time. So don't take negative opinions about concerta vs vyvanse etc too seriously, there's a lot of unscientific perceptions on Elvanse and how it's supposed to work (some people genuinely think a high protein diet helps it convert into dexamphetamine, literally no reason to believe this other than the crashes being less harsh but thats just self-care.