Concerta to Adderall

[Neilsy1616]

Hello, I was just recently diagnosed with ADHD and was prescribed Concerta 18mg. It definitely helps with concentration and totally got rid of my anxiety. In the past I have had lots of panic attacks and constant anxiety about having a heart attack, but when I take Concerta it doesn’t bother me at all even tho my heart rate is 80-90 bpm so my main question is, would Adderall increase my heart rate even more than Concerta? I’m thinking of switching just because Concerta makes me angry and isn’t helping with the things I want to change. I just don’t want to be red lining my heart all day, I’ve read some really good things about it but some people say that it got their heart rates up in the 170-190 range I don’t know if that’s accurate, but if it were to happen to me I’d be going to the ER. Is there anyone that has kinda gone through the same thing or can offer some info? I’ve also read up in dexedrine but it doesn’t seem to have the same” get up and go” apologies in advance if there is anything wrong with my post, and I understand there’s lots of other threads like this but none of them really seemed to answer my question.

 

[CFC]

Hi there Neilsy, a therapuetic dose of adderall is very unlikely to increase your heart rate to such a level. People whose HR does go up to 170-190 tend to be taking huge doses or suffering from other heart issues.

However the only way to find out if you tolerate it better than concerta is to try it. I'd give the concerta another week or two first, to see if you HR slows back down. If not, speak to your doctor again, discuss your concerns about your heart rate, and discuss trying the adderall instead. After that, there are still other ADHD medicines that could potentially be more tolerable for you.

 

[Tubbs]

Yes there are a wealth of adhd medications and all of them have differences. You should be able to find one that works for you

 

[Neilsy1616]

Okay thanks for the information! Is Adderall likely to cause more anxiety than Concerta would? Do you think my heart rate would stay in the same range as it is on Concerta? Also is it okay to workout while taking either drug? I read that you body could go into hyperthermia and that it doesn’t realize how much work you’ve put it through till it’s to late, I have worked out about 5 times on it and each time seems to get worse just lifting weights I’ll get itchy all over, or pressure in the right side of the back of my head.... I have a fit bit to track my heart rate and it never usually goes above 150 unless I’m running(on or off of meds) and I don’t workout for at least 6-7 hours after I have taken Concerta, my doc said it’s totally fine but I thought I was going to have a stroke... does anyone else workout while taking and have problems like this? Should I stop taking it on days I workout or just workout before I take it?

 

[Tubbs]

I've never taken concerta but I used to use adderall very high dosage recreationally, and I never had heart rate problems. Everyone is different however

 

[Keif' Richards]

Hey Neilsy, I just logged on this morning and saw your post and thought that I could perhaps chime in a little bit. Though the parent compounds of Concerta (Methylphenidate) and Adderall (Amphetamine) are both Central Nervous System (CNS) stimulants, they have very different respective effects on the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS). Peripheral Nervous System stimulation is often interpreted as general anxiety, palpitations, tachycardia, sweating, tremor etc.

Central Nervous System stimulation is the mental stimulation that most users desire. In general, stimulants that produce more CNS stimulation with less of these undesired effects, is a more addictive and hence, sought after drug. Methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta) is not typically used by heavy stimulant addicts. The positive/negative side-effect ratio would just be intense.

In short, you can expect Amphetamines (Adderall) to produce less of these reported side-effects than your current (Methylphenidate) drug,but that doesn't mean that stimulants in general won't be contraindicated in general. In the best of circumstances, you would want Dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine). This is the variety of Amphetamine least likely to produce these unwanted side-effects, but it is not typically covered as easily as Mixed-Amphetamine Salts (Adderall) would be.

 

[Neilsy1616]

Thanks a lot that was really helpful, I think I am going to give dexedrine a try... before taking it is there anything I should really know my physiatrist doesn’t really tell me that much he just gives it to me and tells me when to take it haha, what dose should I be starting at? Also is dexedrine only extended release or ir aswell? Like I said I workout about 6 days a week and run 2-3 so I would like an ir for those days just so I can go run then take one dose and not be up all night! Thanks a lot keif

 

[Pickledlemons]

I would recommend dexedrine. It generally has the least side effects of the stimulant adhd medications... and is the most pleasurable. This is other than desoxyn but that is near impossible to get.