Use of Adderall, Ritalin and other ADHD Drugs

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I am curious about the experiences of people on the spectrum with the various stimulant type ADHD drugs. If you tried them, did they help you with concentration or hinder you? The reason I ask is that I found that Adderall had a profoundly positive effect on my ability to concentrate when I went back to college in my early 30's and I am wondering if that would contraindicate an autism spectrum disorder or not. My childhood diagnosis was ADHD and this was the first time I had been medicated for it. (It is only very recently that I have started to suspect AS in myself)

I take Concerta; it helps, and feels a lot like drinking a moderate amount of coffee.

But it isn't for everyone--everyone's different, reacts to drugs differently. Concerta is extended-release; the non-extended-release version just doesn't work as well because first there's too much of it, then too little.

It's really an individual thing whether it'll be of any use. It's not particularly dangerous to try, and not addictive to use; generally it is worth the try if you have concentration problems.

I take a daily does of 5 mg of Adderall XR and 10 mg of Celexa. They've helped me enormously with mood stabilization, general productivity and overall cheerfulness.

Severe crashes, depression, really negative thoughts, intrusive thoughts, suicidal urges, recklessness and disinhibition. 10 mg ritalin 3x day, 2-week trial, POISON for me. I think I was misdiagnosed ADHD. It didn't help me other than making it a little easier to not forget things, not be quite as impulsive and more social.

I was on Ritalin from age 5 to 11, then I was put on Cylert which is the time I felt the most dialed-in, unfortunately it was pulled off the market. I've been on a generic of Adderall XR20 for 2 years. I feel like I plateaued about 9 months ago, then the stimming and MDs woke up. My mood is 100 times more upbeat (as long as I don't get triggered) than I ever was on all the SSRIs and the 'heavy artillery' as Temple Grandin put it. Looking back on what I was prescribed 1996-2010 it's a miracle I didn't die