hi there,id like to know if there are any other chronic pain sufferers,also taking meds for adhd, lets talk! i have been suffereing with severe lower back pain for over two years now.i have to take pain meds everyday,just to get around.surgery is an option, but not a guarantee,so for now i choose to deal with the pain.i also have add, and bouts with depression and anxiety.i curently am taking ritalin,10 mg twice daily.it helps with the alertness,and motivation, but i noticed some side effects about adhd meds.the ritalin kind of makes my mind "busy", i want to do lots, but my body cant keep up.since i started it, i noticed my back seems to hurt much more than before, it aches,and aches, i just cant get my pain under control. can the ritalin have anything to do with amplifying your pain? or is it just a coincident?. also, i noticed around christmas time, when i was still taking the adderall xr, i started feeling all druged up, thats why i stopped it, but my pain level was way down?has anyone else noticed if these adhd meds can effect arthritis pain, or if it is just a coincidence? please respond, ANYONE!

I have arthritis and take stimulants (well, I have taken several too). There is a thread on this topic HERE. (http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34804&highlight=Chronic+Pain)

I have arthritis and take stimulants (well, I have taken several too). There is a thread on this topic HERE. (http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34804&highlight=Chronic+Pain) i was wondering , do you think taking stimulants makes arthritis hurt more?? i live up north, so it could be the cold too i guess, i just wanted to see if there was any connection of the flare up to the stimulant.

Leana, I don't know which type of arthritis you have, but I do know it is easier for me to manage pain when I am on meds. Are you taking regular release Ritalin? The effect of regular release Ritlain wears off after three or four hours, for most people. Ritalin "calms" my mind and not "busy" it. Depression is a very common side effect for people dealing with chronic illness. Are you taking anything for the depression?

hi,thanks for responding.i have degenerative osteroarthitis,along with herniated disks, and siatic nerve trouble.the doctor said that ritalin is also used as an antidepressant too.i am on the ritalin ir,twice a day.unless my back just got much worse, i just wanted to find out if taking stimulant meds could make the pain hurt more?

Yes, I have read that Ritalin is given to non-ADHD people to help them deal with mild, post-surgical depression. As you don't need to build up Ritalin in your system to see a benefit, perhaps you should go off of the Ritalin to see what happens to your pain? I have had brief encounters with the pain of sciatica and can't imagine dealing with it on a chronic basis. :eek:

I am taking 50 mg. of Nortriptyline daily (p.m.) for chronic neck pain and migraine headaches. I also take Strattera 80 mg. daily.

I broke my neck a few years ago and therefore suffer from the residual effects. :( Although, I am happy to be walking so it is hard to complain. As I type this I am suffering a headache, I get daily smaller headaches.

Being careful of what I eat and meds. is a huge factor for me!

Stimulants can painfully tighten muscles. This would be worse in someone with low back problems, yup.

Most back problems are soft tissue (muscular, ligament, DDD).

My own ADHD doc said it did not cause muscle tension (tension headaches; arm pains intermittently), but I have read otherwise, and other healthcare folks have told me the same.

For back pain, i'd really recommend seeing a Physiotherapist, but only one who does "Manual & Manipulative Therapy". (Not the same as a Chiropractor.)

Their manual techniques (eg especially "Muscle Energy Techniques" (MET); and "Active Release Techniques" (ART), literally gave me my life back after a serious car crash in 2000.