I was diagnosed a couple months ago with ADD. It runs in my family, whether it's genetic or not. My brother has a explosive ADHD. My doc has started me off with Concerta.

I started with 36mg in the AM, but it feel it wear off at 2pm, and my work day ends at 6pm. So he increased it to 36mg in the AM and another 18mg at 1:30.

Now, here's the part where I have to divulge my history. I was diagnosed with depression about when I was 15, about 8 years ago. They put me on Zoloft and after a while I didn't want to take it anymore. But I felt it got me to that medium level where I could begin to deal with my problems in a positive manner. And that's where I have been since then. Aside from the lethargic mood, when I'm depressed, I can feel it in my chest. It's like there is someone standing on me. I know it sounds weird, but I just feel flat. Like hopelessness….
In any case, he just increased my dosage about a week and a half ago. I can't really tell if it started then, or before, or in the past few days....but I just feel that same depression I have when I was a teen coming on.

To further the issue, I've been fighting with my boyfriend who I’ve been living with for 3 years. And to top it all off, I am at a very bad place at work. I'm aware how unhealthy my work environment is for me. Not for everyone, just for me because I am so sensitive. But I have been having a really hard time in the past couple of weeks trying to deal with all of this. I know it's not healthy to enable myself to act this way, but I can't help to not want to be around our family. I haven't even spoken to my LIVE-IN boyfriend in 2 days because I just don't want to deal with the situation. And he is tired of hearing me talk about how my work situation is because he knows he can't fix it. And it will never change until I leave, which I am in the process of trying to do. So that just makes it worse because I have all this pressure on me and no one to console me. I can’t just quit because we live paycheck to paycheck. But the job I want is in graphic design, but I can't seem to even get an interview and if I quite my admin job, where I do all their in-house graphics for a regular answering telephones/filing position it will just be trading my degrading supervisor problem for a whole new set of problem I can't handle. I'm 23 and all I wanna do is run home to my mom and hide. And I'm not like that. I'm very independent.

So I know Concerta can affect your mood, but what about at night? Clearly when I get home, the drug has stopped working. So by the time I go to bed if there was any sort of a residual effect, I kind of assume it would have passed through my system. However at night, it's the worse. Because I just can't deal with anything. I spent last night in my bedroom, and cried myself to sleep.

I don't want to be like this. I spent most of my life with this kind of hopeless feeling inside of me, and I don't want to do it anymore. Is this normal?!? I can't keep going on with the mentality that jumping out my window is a viable option (right now I don't think it is-but last night I sure did).

I just don't get it!

I can't answer your question about the Concerta, but wanted to let you know that it sounds like you're under a lot of pressure and that can lead to depression. I know that I have needed a combination of an anti-depressant and ritalin. My dr. explained that some people's bodies react to long-term stress with depression (the chemicals in the brain go a bit wonky).

I would really talk to you dr. about this and see if there isn't a different medication or combination that would bring you more relief.

You are not alone. It takes time to find the right meds and dosages. Hang in there and keep us posted.

Kim

I was diagnosed a couple months ago with ADD. It runs in my family, whether it's genetic or not. My brother has a explosive ADHD. My doc has started me off with Concerta.

I started with 36mg in the AM, but it feel it wear off at 2pm, and my work day ends at 6pm. So he increased it to 36mg in the AM and another 18mg at 1:30.

Now, here's the part where I have to divulge my history. I was diagnosed with depression about when I was 15, about 8 years ago. They put me on Zoloft and after a while I didn't want to take it anymore. But I felt it got me to that medium level where I could begin to deal with my problems in a positive manner. And that's where I have been since then. Aside from the lethargic mood, when I'm depressed, I can feel it in my chest. It's like there is someone standing on me. I know it sounds weird, but I just feel flat. Like hopelessness….
In any case, he just increased my dosage about a week and a half ago. I can't really tell if it started then, or before, or in the past few days....but I just feel that same depression I have when I was a teen coming on.

To further the issue, I've been fighting with my boyfriend who I’ve been living with for 3 years. And to top it all off, I am at a very bad place at work. I'm aware how unhealthy my work environment is for me. Not for everyone, just for me because I am so sensitive. But I have been having a really hard time in the past couple of weeks trying to deal with all of this. I know it's not healthy to enable myself to act this way, but I can't help to not want to be around our family. I haven't even spoken to my LIVE-IN boyfriend in 2 days because I just don't want to deal with the situation. And he is tired of hearing me talk about how my work situation is because he knows he can't fix it. And it will never change until I leave, which I am in the process of trying to do. So that just makes it worse because I have all this pressure on me and no one to console me. I can’t just quit because we live paycheck to paycheck. But the job I want is in graphic design, but I can't seem to even get an interview and if I quite my admin job, where I do all their in-house graphics for a regular answering telephones/filing position it will just be trading my degrading supervisor problem for a whole new set of problem I can't handle. I'm 23 and all I wanna do is run home to my mom and hide. And I'm not like that. I'm very independent.

So I know Concerta can affect your mood, but what about at night? Clearly when I get home, the drug has stopped working. So by the time I go to bed if there was any sort of a residual effect, I kind of assume it would have passed through my system. However at night, it's the worse. Because I just can't deal with anything. I spent last night in my bedroom, and cried myself to sleep.

I don't want to be like this. I spent most of my life with this kind of hopeless feeling inside of me, and I don't want to do it anymore. Is this normal?!? I can't keep going on with the mentality that jumping out my window is a viable option (right now I don't think it is-but last night I sure did).

I just don't get it!
Wow, XX, this sounds so much like my experience both with depression, and with Adderall. I don't know what causes the depression after the medication wears off, but I got to the point where I was suicidal, which is not like me at all. I felt that crushing in my chest - not chest pain per se, but an emotional pain I could physically feel. I was tearful, hopeless, felt totally worthless, and couldn't stand the sight of myself. It would seem that it must have to do with adjusting the wrong chemical in your brain. If Concerta adjusts the dopamine, and what you need is serotonin or norepiniphrine, then something gets messed up. I don't understand it all, but know what you're talking about. On the other hand, from what I've read, it's almost as if we were addicts withdrawling from our substance, like cocaine or methamphetamine, neither of which I've done. The one difference I could gather was that the addict wants more of the drug. After the depression, the last thing I wanted was more! BTW, I quit taking the Adderall. It must just not be right for me.

Please call your doctor right away and tell them how you feel. Something needs to be adjusted so you get to feeling better. It might just be a case where you need a different dosing schedule, a higher dose, or something like that. Hope all the turmoil in your life gets better too. Running home to mom might be a good option till you get all of this sorted out, esp. if she's supportive and understanding. I hope you can find a boyfriend who is a little more supportive. I mean, if we can't talk about our problems to our most trusted other, then who? Also, hope you can get into a better job, been there, that's for sure. You are so young, so much time to make this all better.
Jazz