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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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How Is Amphetamine Salt Different From Adderall XR In Treating Depression?

Hello, Im a 38yrs old female. My doctor has put me on adderall XR 20mg for the past 6months. At first it helped me to focus which really was great for my job. In addition to assisting me to deal with the depression of some life drama Im going through. However, I developed insomnia and began to have some down time in the middle of the day where I would just focus on one thing and lose track of time just thinking about it. And if interrupted I couldn't articulate my thoughts quickly.I went back to my doctor and he gave me XAnax 0.5mg to deal with the insomnia and switched the adderall XR with amphetamine salt 10mg. In addition he had given me anitdepressant which I havent taken and I dont really want to. My question is as follow: what is the difference between adderall XR and Amphetamine salt, besides XR being extended release? will I have the same side effects? The nature of my job is rather technical and being able to communicate intelligently extremely important. Please help!...
Wed, 24 Jun 2015
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Psychiatrist,  's  Response
hello user , thankyou for contacting HCM for your health related query. coming to the query - adderall XR is basically combination of two stimulant drugs - amphetamines and dextroamphetamines , and the "XR" formulation correctly stands for extended release drug delivery system . These drugs are conventially being used for treating condidtions like Attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy, also some practitioners use them as a add on therapy in treatment of depression . The side effects which you experienced are commonly seen with use of this medicine , and can be reduced by taking the dose more early in the morning time and also by decreasing the dose - as your doctor did seemingly. Theoratically the side effects profile of the two combinations would not differ much , but again you can discuss with your doctor about taking it relatively early in the morning , also i suggest you to inform your doctor about not taking the antidepressant medicine and your concerns about it - so that he/she can make suitable changes in the regimen . - hope i answered your query - any followup questions are welcome - if satisfied please rate the answer . Thank you
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How Is Amphetamine Salt Different From Adderall XR In Treating Depression?

hello user , thankyou for contacting HCM for your health related query. coming to the query - adderall XR is basically combination of two stimulant drugs - amphetamines and dextroamphetamines , and the XR formulation correctly stands for extended release drug delivery system . These drugs are conventially being used for treating condidtions like Attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy, also some practitioners use them as a add on therapy in treatment of depression . The side effects which you experienced are commonly seen with use of this medicine , and can be reduced by taking the dose more early in the morning time and also by decreasing the dose - as your doctor did seemingly. Theoratically the side effects profile of the two combinations would not differ much , but again you can discuss with your doctor about taking it relatively early in the morning , also i suggest you to inform your doctor about not taking the antidepressant medicine and your concerns about it - so that he/she can make suitable changes in the regimen . - hope i answered your query - any followup questions are welcome - if satisfied please rate the answer . Thank you