I clench my teeth & rub upper & lowers together when use dexerdrine.

[Anonymous]

I have been diagnose as ADD (procrastinate, can not keep to a schedule, always forgetting, etc ) & ADHD (super focusing) a year ago.

I knew Dex worked within the first hour! It was like an upper level of awareness that I have never experienced before. More, 3D thinking (not just now & not now; past, present & future at the sometime when making a decision. Wahoo).

My ADD specialist & GP had first put me on 5 mg short; then eventually 15mg ER. This would not last throughout the day. I would burnout of steam in afternoon! They gave me 3x a day. Worked fine, until in about a week I started clenching my teeth together with such pressure, I was concerned for my natural teeth! I am 52yo & still have them! The pressure was a cause of pain in my jaws too, with such intensity that I being to experience headaches from it. I sleep well at nights. The next day all is OK. Until the second Dexedrine!

I was then switched to Concerta, starting with 18 mg & stayed for the full term up to 30 days which had increased up to 72 mg. I knew it was not going to work from the beginning. I had to stick it out to make it official. I would get more spacy & sleeping throughout the day. Not good for anything. Lost weeks of work. Thus, I said that this is enough! I want to go back to Dexedrine that have a more positive affect. I felt more myself. As often said: putting me on a level playing field. But in no time, the clenching of my teeth came back!

So…. I was put on Dexedrine in morning afternoon & Concerta in evening. I would sleep well. Get up & after a few weeks of this, the Concerta was over-riding or cancelling the effects of the Dexedrine! I finally had to leave it out all together. I can not take it.

The alternative is a new medication that 4x more expensive as Dexedrine ($117 CAN. for 90 15 mg spanules) I was taking 3x/day which does work well, however, the teeth clenching becomes more profound (esp. when I am concentrating or working)

So I would take less dexedrine & take 200mg of caffee tables instead of. That works more reasonable with the teeth clenching business!

I am now finding that these medication are losing their effectiveness. I am having a terrible time getting up in the morning! I get up at 7 am staggered like a drunken person (but, being well aware of this dilemma…LOL) & try to get my medication inside me with something to chase them down. I take Omega 3 2000/d; V-C 1000/d; V-B100/d; multi-V & M; & coffee in the morning with toast, oatmeal, cream of wheat or cereal & milk. Lay back down on the sofa & pass-out! By 11am, I will finally get mobile by 12 or 1pm & get out of my front door. This is a challenge when one is self-employed! I need to get a remedy on this.

I am reading to try the ADD diet. Milk & bread while I love eating, does make me feel lethargic. So, more proteins etc I will try & hopes this will help, along with exercise. I do have a treadmill. Outside is often -30 below. I live on the Famous Alaska Highway at Mile 300. Summertime is great weather!

I do not know what to do with the ‘Dexedrine-induced teeth clenching’ side-affect. It could be that I may have a touch of ‘Turrets’ as a co-morbidity? How would one know.

If anyone as similar experience of how to deal successfully with this teeth-clenching or another medication with a similar effects as Dexedrine, but without the teeth-clenching, I would love to hear!

Thanks to all in advance.

GLenn

REPORT ABUSE

[Saffron]

Hi Glenn. I had this side effect with Concerta. In fact, it took me a while to realize that when my dosage was titered upward, the onset of frequent headaches was due to an increase in jaw clenching and/or teeth grinding.

I’ve trained myself to be more aware of my jaw position (and to maintain a “resting” position of teeth apart). It’s all I was able to do, but it helped a lot. I would also strongly recommend buying a mouth guard for nighttime (available from drugstores). It will help you with the awareness factor and prevent that awful morning soreness.

Hope this helps a little.

REPORT ABUSE

[Anonymous]

Thank you Saffron for your experience with Concerta. As mentions atop, this agent does the opposite of what is was intended for me. The specialist found that strange, but finally left it that each person responds differently to the same medication.

I do not experience this during the night as I sleep. I know this because, the pain & tension in my jaws is gone when I wake up. It seems that it is only in a wakeful state that this is happening. On Dexedrine, I lightly float my teeth together in a right to left motion. After saying that, however, the clenching of my jaws increase as taking the 2nd Dexedrine in afternoon & if I needed to take a 3rd in late day because of work, then my jaws are giving me a headache version of jaw clenching.

Glenn

REPORT ABUSE

[Outoftune]

Sorry to hear that you are having to deal with this. I’m not surprised though. I have ADHD combined type and the mild form of Tourette syndrome. I love Dex for my ADHD symptoms and find that is literally has no downside with the exeception of slightly bringing out my tics. I can live with this because mine are not damaging to me as they are just blinking, head nodding, moving writsts/ankles, and a chest puffing out of air with a grunt (although I try to keep the grunt inaudible so usually just hear the air). Fortunatley none of these things impede my health or well being but if they did (as your does) I don’t know what I would do.

I find that the more exercise I do the less I feel the urge to tic. Since you work for yourself everytime you are concentrating or stressed and feel the urge to tic just get up and do some jumping jacks or go for a jog up and down your street? Excersize will probably help you with the being tired in the morning problem as well.

As for you having Tourette syndrome or not you would have to consult a professional however my Specialist told me that it is very common for the two syndroms to coexist. In fact over 70% of people with Tourette syndrome also have ADHD. I also know of some people with both as well as myself of course. Unfortunately it is common for the medication to bring out latent tics however in most cases the benefits outweigh the negatives of the tics (depending what they are of course).

Good luck to you Glenn and I hope the exersize idea helps you! It really really helped me! I try to go for a horseback ride as often as I can and the more I ride the better I sleep and the less I tic. Also when I’m at work for example and start to get the urge to tic I go to the back room and do some jumping jacks. Sounds silly but it’s the only thing that helps me. Things like Yoga and Meditation and deep breathing have never worked for me lol I cannot stay still or focus for long enough but jumping jacks I CAN do lol

Also, I’ve heard that excersize increases the effectiveness of Dex!

REPORT ABUSE

[Anonymous]

Thank you, Sherri. The information about the tics are interesting. I have read some about Tourette syndrome, since my professional has made this statement as a possibility. But, it is not enough to investigate further on his part. As you say about doing something to develop a control of it. I like Dex as well for what it does over other meds. I very much believe, as you mentioned, that it does bring out the Tourette syndrome as a background co-morbidity. I remember in elementary school, I did not know what it was at the time, but I used have to stop and hit the inside of my leg with the other one. Likewise, before that, I felt that I had to knock by head back in a kind of cracking fashion. It did not hurt. I just felt I had to do it. It built up inside me until I did it. In time, I had it under control. I haven’t had these tics all this time until I started in taking Dexedrine. I had happy that I do not have the tics I use to do. However, the teeth clenching does give me a headache more than anything. Other than that, I can easily live with it.

Thanks for your input. It has been helpful.

Glenn

REPORT ABUSE

[Anonymous]

Hi Glenn……dexedrin’s street name is “Speed”. Speed has a plethora of side effects….you might be well advised to educate yourself on. One effect certainly is ….is muscular tensioning….clenching your jaw/grinding teeth. You might (might?) be taking way way too much….I don’t know…. I’m not a doctor???? Gum might help…. it gives jaw muscles an activity, which they will do whether you like it or not….so soft easy gum like J Fruit….keeps away the cotton mouth and also gives your muscles a less aggressive activity.

Are you talking about twitches or muscle convulsions….when you say Tourette’s????

I would read up on dexedrine, effects……..and effects with large dosages.

Toofat

REPORT ABUSE

[Anonymous]

Thank you Toofat. It seems that I need to take 15mg ER every 8 hrs to keep going, or I power out physical & in my mind. I I think is to lay down a pass-out! Very inconvenient most times. It is find when I have free time. I sometimes will take only the morning one, then Caffeine 200mg in afternoon instead. That often will do for a while, when my jaws is biting down & giving me a real headache. It has been just over a year now. I am finding that Dex is loosing its ability to keep me going.

I have read up on this medication & as well as Concerta. This does not work at all on me. It seems that I react on the opposite! As noted above. I read that is nicknamed ‘Speed’. Many medication has side-affects. I am always open to alternatives.

Gum does have some effect, however, my jaws get so sore of chewing & have to stop. It is more towards the second half of the day, that this jaw clamping down occurs. It is frustrating. I often bite the inside of my mouth for no apparent reason. I have to keep reminding myself to relax & turn off. An on going battle.

Glenn

REPORT ABUSE

[craigs]

I’ve been trying to chew gum to manage my jaw clenching and tongue sucking, but am having only limited success.

REPORT ABUSE

[Patte Rosebank]

@Craigsobering, I’m discovering that we ADD’ers tend to have more than our share of dental issues.  I just got yet another dental implant put in (my 8th, I think), and I’ve managed to destroy a crown that I only had installed on one of my other dental implants about 5 months ago!

If you’re having this many issues with your jaw & tongue, it definitely sounds like you and your doctor need to re-evaluate your current medication & dosing.  Maybe you’re one of those people who responds better to a non-stimulant ADHD med.  Or maybe your current dose is too high.

The trial-and-error process can come down to making the tiniest adjustments possible, to get “good enough” results until the side effects become a problem.  Just a couple of mg. or an hour or two of difference can be all it takes.

Also remember, meds are not a magic bullet.  The one thing they really can’t do is suddenly give you time-perception.  Even with meds to help you, you still need to learn the special structures & techniques to enable you to function properly.

A pill can help you to concentrate, but you have to make sure you choose the right things to concentrate on.

Also, it’s best to choose the 2 ADHD symptoms that are the most problematic for you, and only work on treating them.  Once you’ve managed that, then you can work on another couple of symptoms.  It’s impossible to tackle all of your symptoms at once.  But, addressing a couple of them at a time, eventually adds up to a lot.

Talk to your doctor about this.  Together, you can adjust your treatment plan accordingly, to get the best results.

Good luck!

(And, yes, chewing bubble gum can help with the mouth-fidgets!)

REPORT ABUSE

[Author]

Posts