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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards | negrogesic

Anyone prefer Focalin to Adderall?

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Scarletta

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Nov 17, 2008
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I am prescribed Adderall IRs, and my doctor wants me to try out Ritalin for a month or so, kind of like cycling, in order to have the Adderall work a little better since I"ve been on it a long time. Having heard that Ritalin is weak, I did a little research on Focalin, and it seems like it is a stronger version of Ritalin.

My question is, does anyone have experience with both, and does anyone like Focalin better than Adderall? I'm thinking maybe I should stick with the Adderall instead of trying something else, if it's going to be too weak for me.

Any comments welcome....also, if you have experience with Ritalin and prefer that, please describe. Thanks!
 
I've had them both. They're both very similar. People say focalin is twice as strong (15mg feeling like 30mg).

It works slightly different. I'd say Ritalin made me feel more normal and focused whereas if i blew Adderall it felt like another amphetamine.
 
I have been prescribed Adderall XR, Concerta, and Methylin ER throughout my life. Adderall XR is definately the best out of the three and helps me the most. I was first prescribed Concerta which was complete crap.. For those that don't know, Concerta is methylphenidate (ritalin) with a strange extended release mechanism which makes it impossible to abuse. Methylin ER is methylphenidate with a more reasonable extended release mechanism which would release half of the medication over the first four hours, than the other half over the next four hours, I believe. It was also in pill form and abusable. When I say "abusable" I mean it can be crushed to a powdered form and has recreational value.

At first I suffered through many painful side effects and mood swings. After a month or two, the side effects calmed down dramatically and for some reason I started to feel a great sense of well-being when I took them. It mostly made me much more outgoing, talkative, and in a better mood. It was great since I suffer from social and generalized anxiety disorder. Of course after some time, the great way I felt on it went away. There was a good four to five months where it kept me in a good place.

I talked to my doctor and told him how weak it became and that I would need a change. I mentioned the possibility of Focalin after hearing good things about it. He instead brought up Adderall XR which I preferred to be on anyhow and I jumped on that. Since I have already taken Adderall IR and XR in the past, I knew how it affected me. I am still on it to this day and it has been at least a year and a half since starting the Adderall XR. Just like my previous experiences with stimulants it worked great in the beginning and just got weaker over time. I have even brought this up on several occasions, but most of the time he just offers putting me on another anti-depressant, because it will "strengthen the Adderall." I'm already on five different medications already, that is more than enough as it is.

Instead of 30mg of Adderall XR once daily, I would prefer two 30mg Adderall XR, or better yet switch to Dexedrine. Dexedrine doesn't seem to go well with this guy. He has the thought of it being much more abusable than Adderall. Adderall is just a remade, ripoff off of Dexedrine anyhow. Being Shire's way of making tons of cash while having doctors force their newest drug down children's throats because they happen to be hyperactive. A child being hyperactive? Who's ever heard of that?
 
I've also had Concerta. If you snort things you'll hate them. They're nearly impossible to breakup and have tons of non-soluble clumps im sure will linger in your body and haunt you for the rest of your life.
 
I tried Dexedrine and it didn't work for me. I may just ask my dr. to let me stick with the Adderall but I was intrigued about taking something else for a change.

Does Ritalin and/or Focalin have appetite suppressing qualities? I've heard Focalin does not suppress appetite.
 
I tried Dexedrine and it didn't work for me. I may just ask my dr. to let me stick with the Adderall but I was intrigued about taking something else for a change.

Does Ritalin and/or Focalin have appetite suppressing qualities? I've heard Focalin does not suppress appetite.

Focalin definitely does suppress appetite.

All the pdocs out there saying Focalin/Focalin XR has less side effects are full of shit.

I've been on Focalin IR for a little less than a year, just got switched to Adderall XR. I was on 70mgs Focalin, now I'm on 20mgs Adderall XR. Shit puts me striaght to sleep. I mean, just popped a couple Ambien sleep. 40mgs, same, as well as 60.

So obviously, I prefer Focalin over Adderall. Even Focalin XR over Adderall XR. The regular Focalin are so brilliantly easy to blow, they're crumbly and white and crush into powder so fast... it's like a dream. You learn to absolutely love the burn.
 
You're only prescribed 20 mg XR Adderall after being on Focalin XR 70 mg? No wonder...I heard Focalin is twice as potent as Ritalin, so you were on the equivalent of 35 mg Ritalin. And Adderall is twice as potent as Ritalin, so the equivalent should be 70 mg Adderall. Basically, you should be on the same dose of Adderall as you were on Focalin

No wonder you're so tired!
 
You're only prescribed 20 mg XR Adderall after being on Focalin XR 70 mg? No wonder...I heard Focalin is twice as potent as Ritalin, so you were on the equivalent of 35 mg Ritalin. And Adderall is twice as potent as Ritalin, so the equivalent should be 70 mg Adderall. Basically, you should be on the same dose of Adderall as you were on Focalin

No wonder you're so tired!

I'm pretty sure you meant that 35mg of Focalin would be 70mgs of Ritalin, lol. You got the math right and everything, though, which is better than I can do, hehe.

So assuming that Focalin really is twice as potent as Ritalin, I was actually on the equivalent of 140mg Ritalin? And if I understand correctly, Adderall is approximately twice as potent as Ritalin, meaning that 70mgs would be more appropriate for me?

I know that amphetamines and methylphenidates are two quite different groups of drugs, but I appreciate having an idea of the general equivalence of doses. Thank you. :)
 
You're only prescribed 20 mg XR Adderall after being on Focalin XR 70 mg? No wonder...I heard Focalin is twice as potent as Ritalin, so you were on the equivalent of 35 mg Ritalin. And Adderall is twice as potent as Ritalin, so the equivalent should be 70 mg Adderall. Basically, you should be on the same dose of Adderall as you were on Focalin

No wonder you're so tired!

LoL...it would have been a lot easier to say that both Focalin and Adderall are twice as potent as Ritilan and therefore the OP would require the same dose.
 
Sorry, I screwed up!

Basically, what mean is Focalin and Adderall are roughly the same strength mg for mg, from what I've read. Ritalin is half as strong as either of them.

So yes, you'd need twice as much Ritalin to equal one dose of Focalin.

I do believe, Elegy, that on the 70 mg of Focalin you were taking roughly the equivalent of 140 mg Ritalin.

Others in this forum have told me that my dose of 60 mg Adderall would take about 120 mg of Ritalin to equal it, and am not sure that a doctor would prescribe that much. But I don't think my doctor would have a problem prescribing me 60 mg of Focalin.
 
Focalin doesnt suppress my appetite as bad. I'm talking strictly from personal experience. Adderall feels more like another amphetamine that gives you that lack of hunger (like if i did coke i wouldnt feel like eating if i eat Ads i also wont eat).
 
I just did some focalin for the first time now. I have to say I'm quite impressed....someone gave me some last night i thought it was bunk but shit i just did 15mg intranasally and im at 19 beats every 10 seconds. Definately better than ritalin and is up there with adderall it seems lol. Last time i did ritalin i did 120mg intranasally and the onset of this hits like a fucking train. Feels clean too almost as clean as amph i like it alot. Def feels differant than amphetamine but still pleasuring


whats the high max dose for a first timer on this btw it seems a little bit goes a long way...?? i have experience with methamphetamine. stuffs gotta be more than 2x potent to ritalin at least it seems
 
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bah not long in and im already getting the feeling of a lingering comedown and dont want to do more, how lame. Good onset however but lame after that, just the same fast heart beat of ritalin with no warm feeling like adderall. still alot better than regular ritalin but this was a classic halarious example of tease....i feel let down :( Amphetamine will always be king i guess......"runs to benzos"
 
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Its been shown that people have a preference of cocaine over amphetamine because of a DAT1 genetic marker difference and more importantly what variant of the COMT markers you have which among other things determines your reaction to an influx of DA in the neuronal cleft.

Methylphenidate is basically kiddy cocaine as far as its pharmokinetics.
 
Some people prefer amphetamine. Some people prefer dex. Some prefer methylphenidate. Noone can say what you'll prefer.
 
Grandaughter

My granddaughter is 7 yrs old. What would normally take 45 minutes doing homework takes 2 hrs. She has to be told to do things more than once. She plays softball and while batting she puts it to the fence but while on defense in the outfield she is easily distracted as with doing her homework.

The doctor suggested adderall but my wife is hesitant. Since several of you have been on Focalin and adderall in your opinion which would be the best for a child of 7.

I have epilepsy and should this be a concern for my granddaughter taking this medication?
 
I have been on both and I prefer Adderall. Personally I hate methylphenidate but the D isomer isn't "horrible". It is much smoother and lasts longer (as opposed to Ritalin). What I mean by smoother is that is doesn't feel as much as a roller coaster ride. However Adderall significantly improves focus and concentration. Focalin just lacks some of the necessary stimulation, its too mild.
 
I have been on both and I prefer Adderall. Personally I hate methylphenidate but the D isomer isn't "horrible". It is much smoother and lasts longer (as opposed to Ritalin). What I mean by smoother is that is doesn't feel as much as a roller coaster ride. However Adderall significantly improves focus and concentration. Focalin just lacks some of the necessary stimulation, its too mild.

how would the D isomer last longer than racemic MPH?
 
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