I quit smoking three weeks ago by using nicotine replacement lozenges. I still use nicotine, but very few (3-4 per day) lozenges compared with the first few days. Here's a link to my thread about "Is Nicotine Dirty Ritalin?" www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22348 (http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22348) , in case you are interested.

I've noticed that I don't feel the Concerta working. Could this be related to the decrease in nicotine? Oh, I also decreased my Lexapro from 10 to 5 mg. a month ago - I never felt Lexapro's effects (not sure if it was stimulating or relaxing), other than weight gain and low libido.

I must say that for the last week I've been under unusual stress due to hurricane Wilma hitting my area and losing electric power, seeing destruction and long lines for supplies and gas.

What do you think?:confused:

Snappy, you have listed too many variables to be able to pick one as the culprit. I was so tired the first week without a cigarette and I had only been smoking two cigarettes a day for the last two weeks. My chest got so icky, I went to the doctor and everything was fine. Then I remembered that my body was getting rid of thirty years worth of toxins.

i tried to quit and i take adderall and it felt as if i hadn't taken it that day my doctor told me to double the dose and still nothing so i guess i'll try a taper off nicotine method

Nicotine is WELL KNOWN to interfere with some medications. (PS. So is grapefruit juice.)

-Nicotine interferes with: 2A6 and 2D6
-Cigarette Smoke interferes with: 1A2

-Amphetamine metabolizes on: 2D6

(I Cannot locate a listing for Methylphenidate (ritalin).

Write this down: "Cytochrome P450", and take the paper to your Doctor.

Ask him/her what drug you are on that Nicotine might be messing up.


Emma

PS. Hope you can get off the smokes. I used to smoke too. In nursing school i cared for people dying of smoking diseases. It's an awful (awful) way to die. I would shoot myself, first. Truly. [As if smokers don't have enough problems already -- the rates poverty and of childhood trauma/abuse for smokers is 4-5x that of the general population. Loss breeds loss.]