I started ritalin a couple months ago. It worked wonders for about three weeks. (10mg 3x a day) It really opened up new things for me. I could pay attention for extended periods of time, do homework, felt more motivated at work and even slept well for the first time I can remember.

After the third week the effects diminished and I would get really warm about two hours after taking my dose. My doctor had me try 15mg 3x a day, this still brings on the bad effects.

Any others had this happen?

TIA

-n

i've had a similar problem where the meds worked for about 3 weeks and then i started getting anxiety and depression. I'm still taking them for some reason and I find that it kinda helps me pay attention but the depression and anxiety kinda cancel out its effectiveness. It's really messed up.

I started ritalin a couple months ago. It worked wonders for about three weeks. (10mg 3x a day) It really opened up new things for me. I could pay attention for extended periods of time, do homework, felt more motivated at work and even slept well for the first time I can remember.

After the third week the effects diminished and I would get really warm about two hours after taking my dose. My doctor had me try 15mg 3x a day, this still brings on the bad effects.

Any others had this happen? I haven't had it happen to me personally, but I have seen others raise it. What I have had, personally and in another domain, is a drug effect where you get an initial bounce (to the good), then it plateaus (neutral) and then it boomerangs (ouch, as the body reasserts its 'default' settings).

This is not a universal reaction, but it does take place for some. Doctors may not mention because they dont want it to be a self-fulfilling prophecy and we really dont know in any one case until someone tries and sees.

As I recall it (hazily) an MD once described it with the concept of "homeostasis" which refers to the body's attempt to reassert its own familar equilibrium. Some people have a stubborn set of bodily systems in that regard, while others shift more easily. When you encounter it, sometimes it's sufficient to 'kick the tires' just a little bit more (lower or raise a dose, for example) and then the body gives in. Other folks, with especially change-resistant systems may have to do more tweaking.

That's probably not real helpful in terms of a quick solution, but hopefully it helps to hear you are not alone in working through this ;->

my doc raised my dosage all the way up to 40 mg for a while, then i decided that it was really messing with things and i brought it down to 20 and now i'm at 25. I don't know what's up with it, maybe it's just that i need a break from the meds for them to work well or my body just can't tolerate stimulants for an extended period of time. I get burned out which gives me anxiety and depression and i notice that i'm totaly relaxed and feeling good when i'm off of them, but i'm a mess and I don't pay attention at all.

I have noticed that my body seems to become somewhat accustomed to it as well. I started off on 18mg of Concerta/day, then 36mg/day, now am on Ritalin 20mg 3x/day. I prefer Concerta since I don't have to take it as often.

I feel the dosage I am on right now is pretty good, still fidgety, but it's greatly reduced, and I'm wondering how much it will ever go away. I was already told that I'm on a fairly high dose/day anyway, so I think my Dr. would prefer for me to stay close to where I am, and it seems to work well in all other areas as well. I definitely notice a difference when they have worn off.

Have you ever tried a period of no meds, couple of hours or a weekend? I find that I notice the difference meds make for me when I forget a dose. I also think part of it may be adjusting to a new "normal." It feels like such a dramatic difference at first because you are not used to it, then as time goes on, you become accustomed to the increased focus and it doesn't seem as dramatic of a difference. That's my take anyway, the return to homeostasis sounds like a probable explaination too, maybe similar to how yo-yo dieting makes it more difficult to lose weight...:eyebrow: