Adderall and Drowsiness: What Users Say

• Tev...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• February 27, 2022

For ADHD "Teva Adderall IR 30mg is BAD as of February 2022. I’m shocked. It was one of the best generic brands forever. After 16 years of taking this, I’ve never had a problem with a generic brand (aside from Aurolife, aka Aurobindo, aka Northstar). I had no problem with Lannett, unlike others here. I’m falling asleep after I take it. I took an old Lannett I still had, and I’m back to normal. This is extremely frustrating; there’s nothing we can do about it."

• art...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 25, 2012

For Narcolepsy "I am a 69-year-old female who has been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome since I was in my 30s. The CFS came long after the FMS, but Adderall 20 mg 3 times daily has made my life bearable, enabled me to stay awake, boosted my energy (I also have Hashimoto's disease - hypothyroid), and has provided me with a feeling of normalcy. I see my doctor every 3 months for blood work and medical care. Got a new script today, but insurance wants a pre-authorization, which will take 3-4 days, and I am out of this medication. Guess it will be a sleepy weekend coming up! Adderall rocks!"

• ADD...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 11, 2022

For ADHD "I have ADD/ADHD and possibly a tiny bit of narcolepsy. I started taking Sandoz 10 mg Adderall immediate release twice daily. All in all, it was solid, I felt it did have a sedative effect, which I don't know how that's possible?! The next month, I decided to try a different manufacturer called Lannett, this worked the same without the sedation. Again, very helpful. This medicine helps me to focus in on what I have to do throughout the day, especially at work, I am able to multitask so much better! The following month, I had a different manufacturer, TEVA. A terrible generic, as the only thing this RX allowed me to do is stare out! Compared to focusing in? I apologize for not being clinical here, but I'm sure others can relate! TEVA should not be allowed in the same drug class! Lannett and Sandoz are great!"

• Cep...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 24, 2018

For ADHD "I have been diagnosed when I was in 1st grade, but parents were against medicating their child. Big mistake, now in my early 30s, I have been on 20 mg twice a day, and they put me in an almost sedated, comfortable mindset where my mind can focus on one thing and not twenty at a time. As soon as my doctor put me on this medication, I could work and attend college, it's let me utilize the intellect that I could never use, and I will be going into a graduate program for psychology next semester. Those people with ADHD without any medication just use it how you are directed, and it can change your life without changing who you are and how you act as a person."

• Anonymous
• August 26, 2009

For ADHD "I am 62 years old on Adderall XR for ADHD, on the medication for 4 years now. I find that Adderall does help when I first take it but seems to wear off as the day goes on. I get very sleepy while on the medication and have no problem with my appetite (no weight loss at all). I asked my doctor to raise my dosage (I am taking 20mg per day) but he does not want to do it because of my age and concerns that it may affect my blood pressure, even though my pressure is normal now. I have no side effects at all from this medicine, just it is not helping my concentration as much as it did in the beginning. I think after a while the effectiveness wears off and an adjustment in dosage is needed."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 18, 2012

For ADHD "36-year-old female diagnosed with ADHD. Started on Concerta 30 mg daily (2 weeks), no therapeutic effect but had extreme dry mouth, a crash/grogginess in the evenings. Switched to Adderall XR 20 mg daily, no therapeutic effect; experienced dry mouth and slight loss of appetite during the day, made up for it in the evening. Just started 40 mg daily and I feel the therapeutic effect. Profound concentration at work, desire to tweak processes, love getting things done, a non-stop interest in being productive with everything. I have this sense of crystal-clear clarity of my surroundings, like HDTV sight. Around 5 pm, I still feel a crash and extreme tiredness. I will see if I can take a short-acting pill to get me through the evening. VERY PLEASED NOW."

• bad...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 29, 2022

For ADHD "I was on Ritalin for a few months before switching. I’ve been on Adderall for 4 days now, and today I called my psychiatrist to tell her I will never take this drug again. Sandoz was the generic I took, and in under a week, I felt suicidal. I was eating less than 500 calories a day due to extreme appetite loss, and I can barely sleep more than 5 hours. I’m miserable. None of my ADHD symptoms were improved, I honestly feel like the drug never kicked in. I was taking 20 mg 2x a day, and nothing. I cannot wait to go back to Ritalin."

• Sha...
• September 16, 2021

For ADHD "I have been placed on 30 mg tablets to be taken twice a day. Everything was running fine until I noticed that the new-looking generic Adderall was doing absolutely zip for me. I literally can take a dose and go right back to sleep. I am not able to complete anything I am doing from lack of focus and clarity. I feel like I’ve regressed back to before I ever began taking them."

• Cra...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 5, 2025

For ADHD "I'm a complicated case. I am on the Autism Spectrum, have ADHD, Bipolar Disorder, Chronic Migraines, plus Epilepsy. I was on Concerta, but it lost its efficacy after 20 years. My psychiatrist and I agreed it was time to try a stimulant, and Adderall would be the best choice. It was literally a downer at 30 mg and 20 mg, as all I did was sleep and want more sleep. But what made things complicated was that with a couple of my meds, it increased its serum levels. So, hey! I'm getting flooded with neurotransmitters I don't need! I went to 10 mg, and it was wonderful. Only minor side effects that disappeared in a day. Except... I was left with constant headaches that I could not tolerate with the migraines. So the next step is Vyvanse and adding a little 'bump' with 5 mg of Dexedrine so I won't have to wait so long for it to become active. I think I will be stable psychiatrically, as I currently am with my medication. If anything were to happen, they could just be adjusted. Looking forward to this!"

• Lex...
• October 9, 2020

For Narcolepsy "I have been so sleepy for the past 15 years of my life. I finally found a PA that listened to me about my sleepiness. She has been great. I cannot afford the recommended sleep study. I am currently taking 10 mg extended release. It has helped, but I am still falling asleep at work. My PA will meet with me in after a month on it. I’m not sure if I need an increased dosage or if it’s not working on me. It’s a struggle still. I don’t want to feel hopeless that I can’t find help."

• Lil...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 31, 2015

For Narcolepsy "Took methylphenidate SR (Ritalin sustained release) 100 mgs a day for years for major depression, was still tired, could still sleep at any time, but not too bad. Dr. retired, new Doc doesn't want to prescribe that, he switched the script to Adderall 90 mgs a day. Worked at first but not well, now it is worthless. I can hardly get out of bed, and it is almost impossible to stay awake all day. Did the sleep study a few weeks ago and was diagnosed with narcolepsy without cataplexy, prescribed Modafinil to take with the Adderall, a little better. In my case, the Adderall must go. Very good that it works for others, as no one wants to feel like they are sleeping their life away."

• Mym...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 14, 2024

For ADHD "I restarted on Adderall XR about 8/9 months ago, and it was helping quite a bit at first, but quickly became less effective. We ended up doing Adderall XR in the morning and instant release Adderall in the afternoon. And then after a few months of feeling little effect from the XR, we switched to just instant release Adderall twice a day as needed. Since being on it, I am much more able to concentrate/focus and have an easier time getting schoolwork or house chores done. One side effect I have noticed from it is I tend to feel exhausted in the mornings before it kicks in. I am not sure if this is due to the time on the Adderall or if my other medications (escitalopram and risperidone) are causing drowsiness. All in all, little to no side effects and has been VERY helpful."

• ots...
• March 15, 2012

For ADHD "I suffer from ADD. I take 30 mg twice a day. It works very well for me, however, sometimes I get wicked headaches in my frontal/temple areas, which I am sure is a side effect of the Adderall. I am going to see my doctor in a week and talk this over with him. I also notice that sometimes I feel really sleepy after I take a dose."

• Lan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 20, 2021

For Narcolepsy "I have been taking generic Adderall for many years and have never had any problems until I started taking the Lannett generic. It does not seem at all to be working, and it actually makes me drowsy. It also caused sores inside my mouth."

• kco...
• March 11, 2011

For ADHD "I started on Ritalin for ADHD, but I switched to Adderall because the Ritalin made me extremely irritable. Adderall 20 mg allows me to concentrate, tune out distractions, and manage time efficiently. Negative side effects: suppressed appetite (positive for me!), sometimes slightly irritable mood towards the end of the day, sleeplessness if I take it less than 12 hours before bedtime."

• Mis...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• March 5, 2022

For ADHD "As of March 2022, Teva brand 30 mg Adderall is like a sugar pill. Their quality has gone downhill. I keep falling asleep. This must be a recent problem, since the recent reviews say how bad it is."

• Anonymous
• November 16, 2011

For ADHD "Works well. Be sure not to take in the evening or night, just in the morning and noon though, because it will cause sleeplessness."