i have read a bunch of threads that tell me that ritalin can cause insomnia. i am only on my second day taking ritalin sr 20mg and so far i cant seem to stay awake. when i get up i take it(about 7:30), and about an hour later i get so sleepy i have to lay back down(and so far have slept for about 4 extra hours)...:confused: :confused: has anyone else experienced this when starting ritalin????

matt

Many people with ADHD have this response to stimulants :) I get mildly sedated by my own dexedrine too.

i have read a bunch of threads that tell me that ritalin can cause insomnia. i am only on my second day taking ritalin sr 20mg and so far i cant seem to stay awake. when i get up i take it(about 7:30), and about an hour later i get so sleepy i have to lay back down(and so far have slept for about 4 extra hours)...:confused: :confused: has anyone else experienced this when starting ritalin????

mattI went to the Ritalin forum and then did a "search this forum" for "sleepy".
http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34440&highlight=sleepy

some threads you might be interested in:

http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36713&highlight=sleepy
http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34440&highlight=sleepy
http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34273&highlight=sleepy

i talked to my pharmacist today and he told me to stop taking the ritalin because it is working the exact opposite way it is supposed too... i cant concentrate, i cant stay awake, and im more irritable...(this lasts for about 6 hours)

i called my doc this morning to see about changing meds.... i havent heard back from him yet

Yeah, don't take ANY advice from your pharmacist over what your doctor has told you. Sure, if they tell you about drug interactions with other meds you're taking--listen up. Depending on what type of ADHD you have the whole point of taking Ritalin might be to calm your brain down. That's why I take stimulants--they have the reverse effect on me.

You may be taking the Ritalin TOO early. Your brain typically doesn't need the stimulant before 9 AM. I used to be on Ritalin and I had the same reaction.
In fact, what I was doing for a while was taking 10mg (half of a 20mg tab) at 9AM then 10mg at 10AM to make the ramp up to 20mg a little less abrupt.

Whatever you decide to do--do it WITH your doctor's knowledge and agreement.

I became mildly sleepy when I first started taking it... but that effect went away after a few days. My dosage is lower than yours, though.

I just started Ritalin SR 20 today and I too felt very sleepy. In fact at one point I felt like I could just lay down in the middle of the sidewalk and have a snooze!! However I did not get much sleep last night.

When I previously took Concerta, it didn't make me sleepy at all. So I will try to get a better sleep tonight and eat a better breakfast tomorrow and make sure I am fully caffeinated and see if I have the same experience.

Your brain typically doesn't need the stimulant before 9 AM.You obviously haven't met my brain.

i called my doctor yesterday, and finally heard back from him today... he changed my rx to adderall.. i dont know the exact .mg because i cant pick up the rx until tomorrow.. i guess i will see how this works...

You obviously haven't met my brain.I wasn't going to say anything, but now that PeterMac brought it up . . . I've tried the not taking meds until I get to work bit and learned it is better for me to start the day with my medication onboard.

I need my meds to get up out of bed. Waking and getting up was always a HUGE issue for me used to take at least an hour to just get up, if i didn't go back to sleep for hours. Now I wake up, roll over and take my ritalin, and in 20 mins I'm full of life, the way I've always wished I could be.