My appt is tomorrow & we will be going over what med I need....

My concern/fear is this:

With ANY of the ADHD/ADD prescriptions, do you experience a "coming DOWN" (depressed, extremely tired, etc) time?

I don't want to feel like I'm coming off of meth or something :(

If the doctor gives me choices, for instance, I want to make a good one.

What if she says, "Concerta or Ritalyn?" Or something like that...?

Its hard to say. Some people claim they "crash" but in my opinion, one ought not to crash because one is not getting high off the meds. The doses are very small compared to street-drug-usage dosages.

We don't go "up" from our meds. I like to say that we go "sideways" into a state of clarity we cannot know without the meds. Therefore, we do NOT "crash"...drug abusers "crash".

Like many adult ADDers I have abused street drugs in the past, and I can state without any hesitation at all that experiencing a rebound after ADD meds wear off is nothing like the crash after street drugs wear off. Just not the same at all!

You may experience the rebound, however, which is a state of unmedicated "wonkiness" that is slightly worse than normal unmedicated state. This may occur after the meds leave your system, and can be distressing...but its not "crashing" :)

Darn it where is Scuro these days? :(

IMHO the longacting forms of any medication provide a smoother experience than the instant release versions. So Concerta over Ritalin, for example.

Yeah, very little physical "crash," simply because the meds shouldn't be having much of a "physical" effect, but there is obviously a mental effect, in terms of being able to concentrate, organize one's thoughts, focus...you know, doing all the stuff everyone else takes for granted (and lemme tell you, your first few months on meds, you're going to discover how much of the world just flies by us ADDers normally, and find a whole new world out there that everyone else just takes for granted).

The only time that I had any physical effects related to meds wearing off was when I was forced to switch immediately from Adderall XR to the instant-release version because of an insurance company f*ck up (apologies for the language, but there is no nicer way of describing it). Because I was in the middle of a Very Important project at the time, worth more money than I would ever see in my lifetime, I didn't have the luxury of toying around with the dosage, I had to directly substitute the IR in the same doses, despite the very different pharmacokinetics. This created a bit of a "roller coaster" effect, where rather than having a smooth, steady dose in my system, the med's effects were having massive peaks and valleys.

Unfortunately, this neurochemical rollercoaster began causing mild motor tics due to rapidly changing dopamine levels...or at least, they would have been mild if I had done the smart thing and immediately changed the dose, and there would have been no harm. But like I said, I had work to do, so I had to keep on keeping on for a month like that before it finally got bad enough that I broke down and paid hundreds of dollars out of pocket for the XR version until I finally managed to get the higher-ups at the insurance company to realize what a mess they had created.

They finally re-approved my meds....the day after I lost my job.

But yeah, it is possible for there to be physical effects in certain situations, but it requires a truly bizarre set of circumstances for them to become really bad. In general, if you wind up getting negative effects, such as a "crash," tell your doc, and he might put you on a longer-lasting version, or switch meds, or alter the dose, depending on your situation, symptoms, and medical history.

I dont feel a crash with Concerta but I can definitely say I feel it isnt in my best interest to go on and off the meds like they sometimes advertise that its ok to do. My body adjusts with every restart so when i stop i dread starting again.

I dont feel a crash with Concerta but I can definitely say I feel it isnt in my best interest to go on and off the meds like they sometimes advertise that its ok to do. My body adjusts with every restart so when i stop i dread starting again.There really isn't any particular need to take med vacations :) just do what works for you. The Kid and I never take them and suffer no ill effects for it.

I agree, if you have insurance, ask for the long duration medicines, that's probably what he/she will try first anyway. Concerta or Adderall xr would be a good start. The one advantage of immediate release medications; you have more control over when the medicine is in your system, and when it's not. With ritalin you can take a dose, and most of it is out of your system 3-5hrs later, that could be an advantage in the evening. Concerta on the other hand is with you for 12 hours after dosing. Many people take a long acting medicine(concerta) and supplement with a short acting medicine(ritalin). Combining the two medicines can extend the coverage, as many people want longer than 12hr coverage.

I am taking ritalin 10mg x 3 daily(tid), I would love to switch to concerta. I don't have insurance, but when I do, i'll definitely switch.

Your doctor will know more than I do, and more than likely make a good decision on medication. Doctor's seem to be good at weighing other additional factors, that us patients wouldn't even consider, when deciding on a medicine.

Good luck,:) sorry for information overload.:confused:

Some meds have problems with rebound, and others don't seem to be so likely to do that. For the most part it is on the order of a nusiance.

The usual treatment of adhd is a stimulant of some kind.
If you are the hyperactive or combined type the doctor might elect to avoid stimulants, particularly if you have an a comorbid anxiety disorder.

If the doctor gives you a choice, then you simply make the choice. Usualy it takes a while to get the right combination of medications, but now and then the doc gets it right on the first try. Be patient and work through it all with your doc.

good luck
ME :D

My appt is tomorrow & we will be going over what med I need....

My concern/fear is this:

With ANY of the ADHD/ADD prescriptions, do you experience a "coming DOWN" (depressed, extremely tired, etc) time?

I don't want to feel like I'm coming off of meth or something :(

If the doctor gives me choices, for instance, I want to make a good one.

What if she says, "Concerta or Ritalyn?" Or something like that...?

I take stim meds and my brain gets uncomfortable and grouchy when they wear off. Which is nothing new; my brain was uncomfortable all the years I didn't know I had ADD, and I took lots of advil for it. The difference is that with the meds my mind likes being able to do what it's supposed to do and not having brain cramp, so now it's more irritating when the brain fog sets in again.