I have had chronic back pain for many years now, minor deterioration of the lower lumbar, etc. etc. When I was taking Strattera my pain meds (Ultram) when down, because I could ignore it.
Now I am on Ritalin, I had assume that a stimulants like Ritalin or Adderall (forumdisplay.php?f=29)

that the back pain would increase. I hasn't, and the pain meds have level off a where they were pre-Ritalin .
There is no question just looking for anyone with a similar experience.

Interesting.

I had various back pains for a few years before I started taking antidepressants. None since with the ocassional exception of a pulled muscle, flu, or long hours in a bad position.

I do believe that a great deal of back pain is due to the involuntary muscle tension that occurs for various reasons. Even if you were not "stressed out" before, ADDers tend to hover in an "alert" state (which is why most of us are so easily startled). That alertness can cause muscle contraction.

Just some guesses about cause, although you didn't really ask...:p

I have a friend who was in a car accident and has had several back surgeries, had discs fused, titanium rods, etc.

Her doctor prescribed antidepressants not for depression but for the nerve pain, she swears by them (except for Lexapro which made her fat) so is depression just nerve damage?

I agree with what Barb said. I used to have back pain a lot, but it went away when I started Concerta. I think because my anxiety went down my muscles were more relaxed. It's funny it just hit me -- I haven't taken my meds in a couple of days because I have a cold and didn't want to be mix and matching medication. I woke up several days in a row with my back hurting -- hmmm -- cold is easing -- I'd better go take my Concerta.:)

Scattered

Don't misunderstand me, I can tell the difference between the back pain caused by muscle tension, and when that bone spur in my spine hits the nerve. My past experience has taught me that stimulants whether it was caffeine, ephedrine, etc. caused the joints in your body become inflamed.

Based on that experience and the power of Ritalin (stronger than caffeine) I expected to have a lot of pain.

Good information I have found out since I first posed this tread. Stronger pain medication, Vicodin and the other opiates don't work well with Ritalin. They cause the anxiety to return that the Ritalin got rid of. So I have to stay away from the stronger meds, which isn’t such a bad thing.

Sorry about the back spurs -- my husband has that as well and I know it is very painful for him. Glad you found something that's working for you to manage the pain and ADD more effectively.

Scattered

Don't misunderstand me, I can tell the difference between the back pain caused by muscle tension, and when that bone spur in my spine hits the nerve.
The interesting thing about this is that the two can't actually be separated, and I'm not sure anyone knows the exact answer to why.

The soft tissue in the back has a way of mediating between the hard tissue and pain receptors.

I'm not even suggesting that all spinal problems can be controlled by retraining muscles, but I've seen quite a few cases (and there are some studies about it) of overcoming back pain through non-surgical means that don't actually affect the root cause.

I'll give you an example that fascinates me. One of my advisors experienced a debilitating problem that made it impossible to function. She was a very active and disciplined person who could no longer sit, stand, or walk without pain. It turned out she had something similar to rheumatoid arthritis where bone was growing inside the spine, placing pressure on the spinal chord. When it seemed that surgery was her only option, and the prognosis was that this surgery wasn't even likely to help, she put faith in her intuition and made a number of changes. She took a leave of absence from work, spent a good deal of time resting, but also spent a good deal of time doing palates and anything else that she thought might strengthen muscles that could change her posture. She also used a motorized "scooter" to get around whenever possible. It took about a year and a half, but today she's as active and mobile as ever. The interesting part is that the condition that caused the problem hasn't changed. At all.

So, when people make comments about how much back pain being psychosomatic, I think of her, and I remember that even when the cause is not tension or anxiety, the answer may be in the soft tissue; so much back surgery is unsuccessful that using it as a first-line defense isn't wise. I also remind myself that psychosomatic doesn't mean it's not real. Even if the root cause is muscle tension, it's still pain and it's still debilitating....

Hi SG,

Might I ask - have you a name for the disorder, ankylosing spondylitis or a seronegative spondyloarthropathy ... potentially?
I have been trying to work up some ideas on 'B27' - but they have not amounted to anything as yet.
Highly anecdotal, but just in case it's of any use, I have heard this before.
And I should mention by 'this', that 'this' is a reduction in anti-inflammatories on ADDer medication.
Sorry ... can't remember much more, other than that I don't believe the author believe the effects to be a direct side-effect of the ADD medication, more an indirect effect caused by the far downstream effects following the meds on his/her dopaminegic neuro-apparatus.
Freaky though that might sound ...

Apologies for the fuzziness ... :-)

SB.