I’ll echo what many people have said here - for me it comes down to environment. My brain still craves the novelty of “something else that’s more fun”.

When I’m on meds, I have to create an environment that is also curated. I tried using them in the office and it’s a real problem. In the context of the office there are so many additional things that it’s difficult to focus and I end up going into deeper rabbit holes than off meds.

Adderall helps me stay in a task, but doesn’t do much to help get me into the right task.

It’s possible that maybe Adderall just isn’t for you. I was first tried on instant release methylphenidate (basically ritalin, but unbranded), and I think it improved my focus. However, it also gave me brain fog that negated any benefits.

They tried me on the extended release methylphenidate after that, which had similar effects. Then they tried me on dexamphetamine (basically Adderall, but slightly different), and it worked really well for me. So maybe you might need to try other medications (such as methylphenidate, or a time release version of Adderall, such as lisdexamphetamine (branded = Elvanse, I believe), or even one of the non-stimulant ADHD meds, like atomoxetine or guanfacine.

However, I would also note that whilst for me, getting onto medication that worked for my ADHD was like a miracle, it wasn’t something that solved stuff on its own. I remember that when I was fairly newly on dexamphetamine, I spent an entire day organising my Spotify library. I suddenly had focus, but I needed to learn new skills and strategies to be able to manage that. I also find that I am still pretty scattered brained, and bouncing between topics at a mile a minute. However, I do find it easier to follow conversational or thought threads, to help keep me on track.

It’s super interesting to me, because there have been times where I have been unable to access my medication where I was even less capable of functioning than before I had medication. I felt bad about this at first, but a friend explained that it’s no wonder I was doing worse than before I had ever had medication for ADHD, because back then, I had loads of coping strategies to mitigate my unmedicated ADHD. They weren’t bad strategies, but they were built for a particular context, and thus when I started on medication, I gradually learned new coping strategies that fit with the version of me that was medicated, discarding the old strategies.

In short, maybe Adderall isn’t the ideal med for you if you feel like you’re still scatterbrained, but faster. However equally, being medicated doesn’t stop you from being ADHD — you’ll probably always have a higher than average level of scatteryness and context switching. Also, it’s likely you will need to build new coping strategies for the version of you that’s medicated, and that will take time.

Edit: I wanted to give an example of one of my coping strategies. So I have found that even when I am decently focussed and medicated, I struggle to focus on one task for a long time (unless it’s a task that I am enthusiastic enough about that I get pulled into ADHD hyperfocus, a fun but dangerous path that I have learned is healthy, in moderation). So rather than fighting my instinct to constantly be switching contexts, when I have lots of Tasks to do, I will let myself cycle between them — I half-jokingly call this “ADHD circuit training”.

What this looks like in practice is that I might spend a chunk of time trying to write an essay for university. Then once I find myself encountering resistance to this task, rather than pushing onwards, I switch to a new task, such as tidying up my space. Then before I become fatigued with that task, I might spend a little bit of time doing some fun reading. Then maybe I might organise some of my files (a task that feels productive, but isn’t particularly). Then I will go back onto my essay task.

I do still need to hold myself accountable to doing some of the more boring tasks (like, I don’t just give up if I am not immediately making progress on the essay), and I find it works best if, at the beginning of the working day, I decide what tasks I will likely cycle between (so I don’t get too off track from my goals). I also need to set myself some time boundaries — I tend to find that 90 minutes working on a task is enough time to build momentum without being too long. I might take small breaks within this 90 mins, but in general, it’s a good guideline. It’s mostly useful because it means I can set a timer, and it means I don’t lose track of time too much.

For the tasks that I really enjoy (like the fun reading, or mundane organisation tasks that feel productive), the time boundary helps ensure I don’t get drawn into spending too long on one task. I’m fairly adaptive with it though, but that’s because I’ve gotten quite good at recognising when I should push myself and when I need to be kind.

However, I must emphasise that what works for me may not work for you. Someone else on this thread suggested you try various time management and planning strategies that you may have tried in the past but found unhelpful, and you should also not beat yourself up if some of those don’t work for you either. You’ve got to find out what works for you, and develop your own understanding of what battles are worth fighting and when it’s better to just lean into your natural way of working.

While I’m not on Adderall, I am on a stimulant.

The fuzzy, buzzy sensation is a sign you’re in overload. At least for me, the drugs are most effective when I can’t notice them, in the moment. When I look back on a day, however, I can easily see the effects.

Also, my partner can tell if I’ve missed my meds or not, before I can.

Each stimulant med impacts people differently. Tell your prescribing doctor about your experiences and ask if you can try a different med, if you’re interested.

This is a question you should ask your doctor, not Internet strangers.

The only thing I notice when I’m on Adderall (also 15 mg) is that my brain is quiet. All the thoughts are still flying around, but they’re much more muted. I’m able to actually focus on what I’m doing. It’s a completely passive feeling for me.

Welcome to the well medicated club. I’m on my first dose of lisdexamfetamine. Drinking coffee and waiting for someone to happen.

Edit ca. 1 hour later: apparently taking amphetamines is a great sleeping pill. My body decided to shut down.

Might not be the right one for you. For me most stimulants don’t make things feel “faster” until the dose gets much higher. Also, I usually need a kickstart of caffeine (not too much though or I can get slightly jittery, usually one large, strong cup of coffee or two or so cups of strong black tea) in addition to my 25mg extended release Adderall to clear the initial fog. I then take another 5-10mg of immediate release Adderall in the late afternoon if I need to function in the evening/night.

For me the Adderall at those doses never really makes me feel “fast” or jittery. I have had some of that when I accidentally took 2 of the 25s, but even then it was minimal. It does keep me from sleeping, though, if I take too much, too late, but I almost always have trouble sleeping anyway unless I’m totally exhausted. Also, if I only use caffeine and no Adderall it takes a lot of coffee to get me hyper.

But I have a friend with ADHD who needs caffeine in order to sleep in addition to Adderall during the day and another who can’t tolerate Adderall at all and uses a different stimulant (but I can’t remeber what). Everyone is different. Try some different meds or combos, with your doctor’s supervision of course. Just don’t overdo it. Listen to your body and dont base your needs solely on anyone else’s. And it’s a good idea to regularly check blood pressure since even if a stimulant isn’t making your brain hyperactive, it can make other parts react poorly. Home Blood pressure machines are usually cheap and sometimes covered by health plans or allowable under healthcare accounts like FSAs and HSAs and, IMHO, a cheap preventative measure to avoid potential issues. Adderall doesn’t affect my blood pressure much, but it does for some and even with that history, I still check regularly.

I’ve found that if I don’t make an effort to focus, I won’t - drugs or not. I’ll just go down a random rabbit hole if I’m not careful. “What do I want to work on for the next hour”

those ridiculous coping mechanisms people offer for time management - give them a shot again. They might actually work with the drugs. That’s been my experience at least.

A lot of these types of drugs don’t just work immediately. You need to take what your doctor says, for at least a month, before you can be sure if it’s helping or not.

Sensitivity to caffeine may not correlate to other stimulants. They are totally different metabolic pathways.

Also that dose is very small. Your titration phase will help determine what is appropriate.

Mostly your fuzzy, felt like taking more, is probably a bad idea. A steady dose taken at the same time daily will be more helpful in determining the correct dosage. You shouldn’t be playing with it like a toy.

Sometimes a slightly different formulation can make a difference, but some people also just metabolize the stimulants really quickly. Generally the thing that I notice on my Vyvanse is that I can pull my mind off focusing on things in order to react to things better in the moment. But that’s just how my brain reacts, still might be worth seeing if yours does the same though. Depending on your body composition, you may need an even larger dose? It’s also a possibility that you have other things contributing to your specific scatterbrained effect. I am also on Lexapro which has a good anti-anxiety effect and I’ve never been on my Vyvanse without it so that maybe helping me with mine?

Sometimes other things are going on that may be causing difficulty with concentration or thinking clearly. So leave open the possibility that something is going on that isn’t addressed by stimulants if you try different ones or change doses and continue to not find it helping.