I've posted this in the Effexor forum as well. I didn't know which one it belonged in and I thought that, since there wasn't a forum for Adderall XR, I thought the two together would qualify as sort of a third medication.

After a disastrous run with lithium as an adjunct to Effexor (wrecked my thyroid, caused serious weight gain) my pdoc put me back on Adderall with Effexor. Since I either metabolize medicine quickly...or I am larger than the normal test subjects...I am on pretty high doseages of both. Right now it's 450 mg of Effexor and 75 mg of Adderall XR, taken throughout the day.

The Adderall/Effexor combination works great...while it lasts. I take two 30mg Adderall XR tablets in the morning with two 150 mg tablets of Effexor and the well-being, peaceful, solution oriented mental state lasts until about noon...at which point I take one 15mg Adderall XR and one 150 mg Effexor. The noon dose may change, based on how well it works.

I was wondering if anyone else had experiences with Adderall XR wearing off quicker than it should. Or any other experiences that people who are taking Effexor and Adderall have. I'm taking the Effexor and the Adderall at the same time because I read in a medical study that venaflaxine inhibits the gene that metabolizes Adderall so technically the Adderall should stay around longer. It doesn't. I'm taking omega-3 tablets with the morning and afternoon doseages and while it seems to take the jitters out of the Adderall, it doesn't make it last longer.

I'd rather not increase my doseage of Adderall...75mg per day seems to be a lot and I'm already taking the max doseage of Effexor. But the optimum mental state seems to go away faster than it should.

Please feel free to post any input, advice or experiences here.

Have you discussed the situation with your doctor? If so, what did he or she say?


KA

His opinion is that I metabolize Adderall XR...aka stimulants...extremely quickly. We don't know that for sure though and I was looking for a definite answer.

I'd also like to avoid taking more Adderall XR.

Understandable--Adderall has high abuse potetntial, so you're right to respect the dosages. Did your doc suggest anything else? Like maybe taking it with food?

KA

We've spoken about it, but he echoed the research I'd already done...which is that taking it with food has only a moderate effect on the length of peak availability.

[font=Garamond][font=Garamond]
I am currently taking Adderall with Cymbalta and the combination works well for me. I too metabolize meds quickly therefore my Adderall dose is at about 70 mgs a day. I have had my liver and kidneys checked and all is a-ok. Because of my clean bill of health I was able to increase the Adderall. It amazes me how different people react to mediations.

Hi, I too am on adderall xr and effexor xr. I hate effexor, period. Adderall was the cure all medication for me. I only took it Monday through Friday and insisted on the lowest doses. After I was on solely adderall and became confident there were no side effects from it, I went on Lexipro. I was started on 10mg, again insisting on the lowest dose to start. Right away I felt very tiny changes here and there, which eventually grew w/time. I was slightly more content and more “affectionate”… or more so I just wanted to “cuddle” all the time, though it never put the depression into remission. I felt like I was on a cloud, but my brain did too, and I was ALWAYS tired. It was harder to concentrate, because all I had the ambition to do was cuddle and sleep. Monday-Friday if I took my prescription of adderall and I was fine, but the weekends made me so upset, because I didn’t get anything done and I refused to use the adderall on the weekends, I saw that as abusing my prescription. The “sick” side effect the doctors warn you about in the beginning with all anti-depressants, also never subsided. I told my doctor I wanted to switch off lexipro. I had been on 20mg for about 8 months when I switched. I had heard effexor xr was a very effective drug in treating depression. I heard it actually increased your energy, focus and the extended release version did not have the dreaded withdrawal side effects. My own experience was horrible, because for me it made adderall in effective for me. No other adhd medication has helped me in the way adderal has, it completely changed my life around for the best. The effexor made me sleepy just like the lexiporo, but in a different manor. I take my medicine in the morning, I’d be so tired I’d fall back a sleep, sometimes not even remembering if I took it. This happened with the lexipro too and the doctor suggested I put my dose for the next day in a separate container, (adderal too). Then set the alarm for 1 ½ hours before I had to get up and a second alarm for the actual time I had to get up. I’d still fall right back to sleep, but when I the second alarm went off I’d wake up and be fine. This did NOT work with effexor!!! I’ll just keep sleeping, on the adderall as well. They upped my dose to 15mg three times a day, and I’d still sleep a good 10 hours on it…The doctor suggested increase the adderall to 20mg…I was completely against it, but I did try it for arguments sake and it didn’t help. I didn’t want to go any further w/the dose increases. I didn’t want to be dependent on it to function, it’s still considered a narcotic and the risk to build up of my tolerance, not to mention, develop a psychologically addicted is relevant. I am also very tiny, 5’0”—105lbs… a woman my size should not be on a dose that high. The long run health risks for someone my size are endless!! I told my doctor I was going to start weaning myself off the effexor. I started taking half a pill; sometimes if withdrawal starts to set in I’ll take an extra quarter. The stories I heard of the extended release version having no withdrawal effects is NOT true!!! Read the horror stories, they are all true! I know! Once I forgot to pick my prescription up, (this was at the end of my first month taking effexor and before I decided to get off it). The first day w/out it there was no change, the second day I was able to take one 10mg of adderall and it worked like it use to, at the end of the third day withdraw set in. I couldn’t study, I couldn’t drive, I couldn’t go to class… it was like having the flu, but with no fever… within 3 hours of taking it, my body snapped out of w/drawl.

When I started effexor I thought the pros outweighed the risks, now I am getting out while there is still time.