Adderall makes me sleepy and tired

Yes.. it works great for me in the morning but for some reason not in the afternoon.. I take 60mg too, but I take 30mg in the morning and 30mg after lunch

I always fell asleep shortly after taking adderall. It never helped me stay awake, just made me feel like crap once it wore off.

My new dosage is 80m when I get up and I can take another 10m 3hrs later and 10m 3 hrs after that if needed. My doc told me not to crash before taking second and third dose, but I still find taking extra doses does the opposite to me. I get really sleepy and if I can't sleep I zone out. I hardly ever take extra doses bc really what's the point It just makes me feel worse.

Sometimes off schedule yes! I ran out of my daytime/morning 20s, DrS office took forever to send refill. But I had my 2/3pm 10mgs. So I spaces those out. But if I took it in am, I'd still be sleepy as hell, sleep 1.5 hr till my son got up,be SO groggy I couldn't speak, ON modafinil AND adderall. And coffee & usually Spark energy drink. Made NO didference in my daytime EDS, then no matter what wake up in life at like 5pm, but no matter what, yes, I can go to sleep almost instantly on stims & be passed out for 6+ hrs

I will take my adderall and go back to bed for an hour, I wake up feeling ready to go. I found this out by accident when I just couldn't stay awake immediately after taking my meds.

I told my Endo that I get sleepy when I take my thyroid meds too. She didn't think that was what was causing the issue. Maybe my body has trouble processing meds and that's what is causing the problem. Everything that I take has a stimulant effect, so you would think I would we full of energy all the time.

That's the way our bodies work. I take 30 3x daily and drink tons of coffee and still feel tired. I have found taking vitamin D helps with energy. Don't be afraid to ask for a increase If your dr knows anything about Narcolespy then they know it's not a text book illness and every one responds different.

I'm having the same... Been on 20mg for a couple months and I hit a plateau (because first it kept getting better) and now it's feeling like a slide. I will be sending a message (and calling) my doctor on Tuesday... He's already said I could increase as I felt I needed and that he would adjust the dose. I'm mostly worried because school will be starting soon and I don't want to have a huge disaster like I did last year with my concerta. I'm just scared of always having to increase...and adjust for the rest of my life? What happens when the dose max is reached or I develop side effects to all the meds and there are no more
Options? Will I still be able to do what I want and have worked so hard to do? It's so scary...

You should let the doctor know so that he understands how fast you build tolerance and knows what you're dealing with. No matter what you will need lifestyle changes because your energy will be limited. Beyond other stimulants and nuvigil (some people do better on it than modafinil) you should consider talking to your doctor about treating your sleep with xyrem or baclofen.

Make sure you have drug holidays as often as you can. This will help with resetting your tolerance levels.
Ps. I need to increase an extra 15mg a day when I have my period.. Haha
Remember: the adderall is keeping you alert but you still aren't getting restorative sleep. You still need to schedule naps, 15 minutes is enough. This will help the adderal work better for you as well. To be honest though, your doctor is being cautious, which is not a bad thing considering adderal is very hard on your cardio vascular system. But if you feel you are ok, then let him know! Yes it's a controlled substance but we also don't have the reward response for addiction because of our lack of orexin/hypocretin and as a neurologist, he would know that.

The same thing happened to me, especially with the instant release ones. I switched to XR and it helped, but I'm finding that it still does that to me sometimes. I have no idea why :/

I've been on Adderall for months and I can nap on it no problem. The difference is when I'm on it I can choose to nap, as opposed to when I'm off of it and have no say in the matter. :) I don't get extra tired on it though usually. Some days I'm already extra sleepy and I take it and it doesn't fix it and I need a nap anyway. But I've never noticed it making me more sleepy.

I guess your way of explaining it is way better than mine lol. I have only been on it a few days so I'm holding out hope.... sometimes I take it and I'm like WHOA I'm overwhelming tired...other times it's like WHOA IM TIRED, BUT IF I KEEP MOVING ILL BE FINE. Also, normal circumstances (I.e. no Holiday on the weekend), I don't take narcolepsy related meds on the weekends if I have no where I need to be. This weekend was crazy filled with non stop family stuff (we had 6 stops to make in 2 days) so meds were absolutely necessary.

Yeah, I do the same, I usually take my meds on Saturday and get all my errands done and then skip Sunday, but I didn't get to do that this weekend. I would say give it a couple weeks and if it isn't keeping you awake enough talk to your doctor. You might need a higher dose. I'm pretty comfortable with my wakefulness most days and I know if I take more I get more side effects, like sleep attacks as soon as it wears off.

I've taken adderall for 5 years and I can take a nap immediately and sleep for hours. But I'm like Katherine, up above, I can now choose the nap, whereas before I was sleeping 18 hours out of my day. :) I can't really sit down and do nothing or I will still fall asleep, but I don't want to up my dose until absolutely necessary, so I just tough it out.

Yup. I can easily take 30 Mgs instant of adderall and fall asleep. Before I used to fall back asleep and then like a half hour later I would wake up feeling super energized and ready to go. However, now if I take it I need to keep moving. Be careful with adderall, as your body can become very dependent on it. I now , over 5 years of taking it, use up to 90mgs a day and on my busy days sometimes more.I became very dependent on it rather then balancing it out with healthy eating and exercising. Now I'm struggling with some side affects.

I have never taken Adderall but what my doc prescribed me has been working amazing. It is called provigil. I take 200mg twice a day. It helps me feel alert and focused threw out my day with out jitters. If the Adderall continues to be a problem that might be something to ask about.

Yes, Adderall messed me up really badly, I do much better on Concerta (time release Ritalin) w Ritalin boosters. Each stimulant works different for each person's body chemistry. Adderall sounds like it's not for you.

I've tried sooo many different Rxs. If it wasn't for my lil boy, honestly, I would just stop & sleep my way into eternity.
After trying everything (except Xyrem because of my little boy), the ONLY thing that manages to wake me up (& only works sometimes) is Aderrall. I typically take 60mg a day. Even with 60, I stay sleepy but it is sooo much worse than just "sleepy".
I've taken 150mg before just to stay awake.

It's always hit or miss taking Adderall, no matter the dosage, that's why I'm buying L-citrulline DL-malate when I get my check, {fingers crossed and praying}

Absolutely feel exhausted I also take 60mg of adderall and it doesn't help. I tend to jump all over the place with stimulants hoping to find one that works and I haven't had any luck. I work full time and am a mother to a 9 year old and 11 year old. I often wonder how I'm going to get through the day. Just doesn't make sense that 20mg of adderall helps so many people but it doesn't help me.

It's not uncommon for people to develop a tolerance to stimulants. Sometime taking a break from them or alternating between different stims can help.

I have a friend that goes off of them every weekend. Sleeps most of the days away but then they work again ... I've heard that's best. I only take 5 mg at a time like 3 times a day and feel like a druggie hahaha gosh ..I guess I should be glad it's helping at a low dose I just wish it kicked in faster.

I just felt the exhaustion was delayed... after a little while a week or 2 I thought it was working too well and slept worse. No one ever addressed my poor sleep... just wanted me to stay awake.... I have since found the perfect combination of meds for sleep and sustain my energy through the day with Rhodiolla (don't use if bipolar) and adrenal support ....used a total of 15 mg of adderall for the last whole week no more than 10mg per day. Exciting stuff for me if certain doctor people would listen.

I find a drug holiday works well for a little bit, but back to tired again in a few months. I have the same problem which is why I'm not working at the moment. I take adderall xr 20mg 2x/day + 10mg regular adderall each day. I take a scheduled nap each day to get ahead of the crashing. It helps, but like advil helps you after surgery. (Not much help).

I used to but I started taking L-citrulline malate 4 years ago and I've been able to reduce my adderall from 90mg a day to 7.5 mg only when I drive by agreement with my doctor. Before I started the citrulline, it was like being forced awake, now I feel naturally awake.

I take 15mg extended release two times per day and 10mg of regular 2 times a day of dextroamphetamine. My pharmacy changed generic vendors and I did not think much of it. I was able to take my meds and go lay down and take a nap after the switch. I found some of my older generic meds and tried them and it was like night and day!

I work full-time (desk job, marketing manager, 8-5 MF, 27 years old). It's very difficult, and there are definitely days I just want to break down. I have 3 sleep attacks at work on a good day, and I become completely non-functional at work on a bad day... Here's some work tips:

1. Have an at work to-do list so you can check things off as you go. It helps with the narcolepsy memory issues and it keeps you motivated - each check mark is like a small victory, which psychologically is a big benefit.

2. Go to the bathroom and do jumping jacks IF YOU DON'T HAVE CATAPLEXY. A good 60 seconds of jumping jacks will wake you up super fast. For me, the adrenaline can help power me through another 45 minutes or so of work. Some people with narcolepsy don't have a good reaction to working out though, so it's all about how your body reacts.

3. MOST IMPORTANT : I am only able to get through a work day by having an extremely balanced personal life. The toughest lesson I've learned is that I CANNOT do everything. I'm an OCD perfectionist, and I feel like a failure if I'm not 100% all the time, and accepting that I will never be 100% all the time has been very humbling. I've learned that I have to be incredibly balanced in my home life if I'm going to have the strength to deal with working full-time. So here's my home life tips:
1. If you feel good, don't procrastinate. I never allow myself to say "I'll do it tomorrow" if I'm physically capable of doing it now, because the reality is, I have no idea if tomorrow will be a "good" day or "bad" day. So if I feel good right now, I'm gonna do right now.
2. Spread out chores. I hate doing housework, but my OCD means I have to keep a clean house. I give myself 1 chore to do each day and I try my hardest to get that 1 thing done. And if I feel good enough, I'll do another thing, or I'll take the extra time to relax. Spreading out chores into small, manageable tasks makes me feel accomplished and reduces my stress.
3. Take care of your self psychologically. For me, the psychological and emotional impact of this condition is so much worse than the physical. It's not just being tired, it's knowing I'll feel like this for the rest of my life - it's not having people understand how hard it is to do simple things - it's worrying about what kind of parent I'll be - it's the fear that it'll get worse - and it's the fear that I'll become incapable of doing my job.

The #1 tip to handling ANY disability is to take care of yourself psychologically and emotionally. If this means taking "sleep days" then do it. If it means having "you" time for bubble baths, workout classes, etc. then do it. If it means seeing a therapist so you have someone to talk to, then do it. Don't feel bad about needing these things if they're going to help you emotionally. You and your relationships can survive your narcolepsy; it's the emotional distress that is often the most destructive. Take care of your heart and mind and your body will follow. If it's not asleep ;)

I have a "sort-of" full time job, but more so in the fact that my husband and I own the company and I do all of the business side of things, dealing with clients, contracts, billing, payroll, paperwork etc. I used to work in a company where I had strict deadlines on work and productivity and any day (even if one day) I feel behind I would have to be "counselled". I ended up leaving that environment because I found I just couldn't function (this was long before I was diagnosed with N though). I knew that I needed to move to something that could be more conducive to chronic illnesses and I found that self-employment has given me that freedom (this may not work for everyone however). I work as I need to and when I can and many times I work when I can't get to sleep at night. I have a set up in my office where I can lay down and rest if needed for as long as I need to (usually 90 minutes will get me through any cataplexic attacks).

The best advice I can give you is ask at your office for help, and if they can't help keep looking around to find something that will work for you and allow you to take care of yourself at the same time. I do have days where I simply cannot function and I am somewhat open with my clients in that I am partially disabled and sometimes will have to reschedule if a meatspace meeting is required. So I typically do a lot of my work via text and email.

I do 15mg twice a day. Unfortunately Adderall never really did much to get me out of bed. It wasn't until I started taking Xyrem that I could get out of bed reliably.

I have never taken it but my son took the extended release plus Ritalin short acting. I set his alarm clock half an hour early and had the Ritalin and water on the nightstand. It was a dual alarm and when the second went off he would take the Adderall and if needed would take a second Ritalin during the school day. We had to switch because it caused severe anxiety and made his ocd much worse.

Set alarm an hour early, have medicine by the side of the bed when I fall asleep, wake up, take medicine, reset alarm, fall back asleep, wake up in an hour. Annoying but what works for me.

I also take up to 60 mg a day of Adderall. I still have trouble getting out of bed. In fact the only time I notice that I take Adderall is when I don't take it and I feel exhausted (forgetting is another of my superpowers).

I was previously on vyvanse before Adderall, and I was up to 60mg and it was really working for me along with binge eating disorder. But my insurance wouldn't pay for it, so I couldn't afford $150 every 30 days. That's why I was switched to Adderall. :( I miss vyvanse.

I have Tue worst time getting out of bed. I think its from eds. And I take 60 mg a day. Talk to your doctor if you feel it isn't enough. They always start at at lowest and work the way up. I started at 20, then 40, now 60 which I barely ever need 60

I'm also on adderall I take a full dose of 30mg in the morning and depending on how I'm feeling/how much I have to get done I take a half a dose in the afternoons. But for trouble waking up, my doctor recommended setting an alarm an hour before you want to get up and taking the adderall then so that by the time you want to wake up it's kicking in! Alsooooo I purchased one of those alarm clocks that rolls of your nightstand and you have to chase it to turn it off

I'm on 20 mg 2-3 times a day. My doc has had patients on 100 mg a day, but he doesn't see much change in effectiveness at doses higher than that. My daughter has the ability to increase hers (she's on the same dose I am) to up to 100 mg a day as needed for short periods of stressful times or times she absolutely requires more awake time in a day (like exams).

I take 20mg twice a day. Most days I split my second dose into two doses and feel fine.
7am-20mg adderall + 1/2 caffeine pill

12-1pm I take 10mg

4-5pm 10mg

You aren't supposed to take it within 6 hours of bed I believe and I can't go to bed before midnight because my body will think it's a nap so taking it later in the day works well for me.

I may not have to read all the comments to state that I most likely take more amphetamines than anyone else I've heard of. I take dextroamphetamine. My neurologist says its what used to be called "pure speed" back in the 70's. (my analogy, not his...) I take the maximum allowed by law on a daily basis, which is 6 - 10 mg tablets.
Of course I started on much milder drugs, thru aderall, until we got to dextroamphetamine. The doc told me that if that didn't work, his "gun would be empty". Fortunately, 60 mg's daily does about as reasonably well as possible. For more clarity on my situation, I also have Sjogren's Syndrome. One of the main features of SS is fatigue. Okay, I'm worn out now, I need a nap zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

PS I've had days where even 60 mg's of dextroamphetamine isn't enough to keep me reasonably awake (reasonably being a very relative term....)

It took me awhile to feel anything off of the Adderall. Some days are c also worse than others. Like this morning I took my dose and then fell back to sleep for an hour. I take both an extended release and a quick release in the morning.

It's a very low dose. I'm on 10mg/2 times a day. First dose I slept, woke up and took the second dose and felt better. I'm on day 3 and again today I took it and fell asleep. But for some reason the second dose works.

I've found that if I take my first two 10mg at once in the morning that it gives me the boost I need to feel something. If I just take one tablet I'm either more tired or don't feel different at all. Once I take the two in the morning I have to keep up with it by taking another half tablet a couple hours later and then another half tablet which also makes the crash not so bad. I'm at the Dr today though and I'm going to see about maybe switching to 20mg tablets because on long days the 10mg don't quite last the full day.