ADDERALL XR - losing effectiveness - need break?

[mmm7777777]

I am 25 years old. I weigh about 175 lbs. I am prescribed Adderall XR - 30 mg. I take 2 a day as prescribed monday through friday. I do not take any on sat and sunday. I notice that after 3 months or so of use the adderall does not work as well. Should I take a break to reset my tolerance? If so how long?

[ellua]

good, stay as low as you can possibly get away with as long as you can.  in the first few months it's likely that it IS actually still working how it should theraputically, however there is some euphoria from it that may wear off and make you feel like it's not working as well.  

i'm 25 and have been on 60-90mg/day for 4 years now and i still gotta admit that it works to keep me focused and on task at work, however any hint of euphoria has been gone since about 2.5 years into it.  the only break (or "holiday) i've had from it that was more than a few days was when i was in rehab for opiates, 60 days without it and it was really hard.  i expected my tolerance had gone down a little, or that i'd at least feel really good with my first dose when i got out, but that didn't happen at all, not a bit.

it can take a long time for your tolerance to go down, and it may never be back down to baseline or get "reset" so i think that's a bad way for a doctor to put it. not a whole lot you can do for adderall tolerance except keep from developing it in the first place...

[mmm7777777]

Great to hear from someone in a very similar situation. the internet is littered with info, but with such a specific problem, its hard to apply other peoples issues to my own. My dr. recommended upping the dosage, which i don't want to do.

[AtlantaT]

I'm a 40 yo male and have been taking Adderall for three years now....same dosage (30mg twice daily), but take it 7 days a week for ADD.

My doc suggested that once a year I take two weeks off to "reset" my system...but I've never wanted to go that long without taking it!

Well....it's my 4th day of being totally off and I'm feeling great.  I started cutting back by a 1/4 of a dose each day.

Everybody's system is different, and some might have a harder time getting off Adderall than others, but I think it is needed in order to "reset" your system and reap the full benefits of the drug.