Keeping track of my Ritalin experience [Archive] - ADD Forums - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Support and Information Resources Community

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fizzlesticks

12-01-08, 05:15 AM

I was diagnosed with ADHD (Inattentive Type) last week, and have been on Ritalin since Saturday. I'm a chemically sensitive (seriously, even coffee upsets my stomach) and slight-of-frame, and I'm trying to figure out what the benefits of this drug are through the side-effects I've experienced so far.

Any advice or comments you might have would be welcome. Ritalin is the only ADHD drug subsidised for adults in Australia (so my psychiatrist says), but I wonder whether I'm on the right med.

<link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Cinternet%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cm sohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><style>  </style> Day 1 (Saturday 29/11/08) – 10mg x 2
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-Felt like a zombie during ‘peak’ of dose (for two—three hours). Very, very quiet, sedated. My father said I looked like I looked totally vacant. I was absolutely emotionless. Unmotivated.
-Excessive drowsiness – physically weak, limbs felt leaden, especially as ‘come down’ started.
-Anxiety and depression. At various times I felt frightened, sentimental, teary and depressed, hopeless. By the end of the day I was [I]sobbing.
-After ‘come down’, I was extra hyper for a [I]short while.
-At 10pm, I finally felt more like myself, but also a little more like I could focus.
-[I]Intense headaches
-Dry mouth & loss of appetite
-Dizziness and nausea (minimal)
-Blurry vision (which of course made it even harder to focus)
-Hypersensitivity to sound and touch and consequent irritablity

<link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Cinternet%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cm sohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><style>  </style> Day 2 (Sunday 30/11/08) – 2.5mg x 4 (every 3 hrs approx)
I decided to try the lowest possible dose.

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-Slightly clearer head than at baseline, [I]slightly quieter / less socially impulsive
-No side-effects apparent bar dry-mouth and drowsiness, no 'crash'
-[I]Slight ‘buzz’

<link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Cinternet%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cm sohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><style>  </style> Day 3 (Monday, 01/12/2008) – 5mg x 3 (every 3.5 hrs, to ancipate crash)

-Better focus, but still quite distractible (distractions increasing as day goes on)
-Incredibly tired (drugs probably exacerbating lack of sleep during week; I'm an insomniac anyway)
-Dry-mouth
-Clearer nasal passages
-Appetite suppression, nausea, headache
-Less ‘buzz’ than on 2.5mg. Feel kind of plain and clunky
-Still forgetful and absent-minded
- Still working really slowly on stuff that needs to done by Wednesday. Oh crap.

Destracted_UK

12-01-08, 06:47 AM

I look forward to keeping up with this.

I have just started proper ritalin as opposed to a generic as I didnt get any benefit from it.

I have started at 2x5mg for a week to check tolerance. So I look forward to seeing how you tweak your doses to maximise effectiveness/minimise the negatives.

fizzlesticks

12-01-08, 07:04 AM

Hi Destracted,

I can't say I'm impressed so far. I can't figure out whether I'm getting benefits or not.

Presently, at the 'crash' of day three, I'm mentally exhausted and physically wired -- like all my ADHD symptoms have been amplified. I'm fidgeting like crazy & have been walking through the house, up & down, round in circles, jumping up and down, just trying to get that 'restless' feeling out. I'm SO irritable.

I can't concentrate at all, and although I could focus more today, I was working really slowly. Ritalin seems to slow my response times to everything.

fizzlesticks

12-01-08, 07:08 AM

One question:
Does anyone know which ADHD meds are subsidised for adults in Australia (Qld, specifically)? I'm getting mixed answers from all over the place.

If the Ritalin doesn't work out for me, I'd be up for trying Dex. I hear that sometimes people for whom Ritalin (and co.) doesn't work, Dex does, and vice versa.

Destracted_UK

12-01-08, 11:48 AM

Is it worth sticking to a dose routine for a few days on the trot? You look like you are trying something new each day. I have been told to take 2x5mgs a day for a week to check tolerance. What dose were you prescribed?

I hate the crashes. I havent had any heavy ones yet - early days - but on equasym I had the most horrible come downs with no effect on the add, hence the switch.

All the best

: )

fizzlesticks

12-01-08, 12:01 PM

I was prescribed 10mg x 2 or 3 (depending on when I got up / needed them), and it was bad. There was no way I could stick to it.

2.5mg did next to nothing, so I thought I'd try the 5mg, which still gave more side-effects than benefits. Hours later I still have a killer headache.

And yes, oh! the crashes. I've had a horrible, horrible crash this evening. It's 2am and still there.

Destracted_UK

12-01-08, 05:00 PM

Hmmm, it sounds quite harsh, maybe time to go back to the doc. You say you are limited on what is prescribed over there so...

*If it was me*...., who also seems to be quite sensitive to meds, I would take 2x2.5mgs each day, at 3hr 30min intervals with the last one finishing in the early evening (it depends when you need you focus). If its keeping you up then the earlier you finish the better at this early stage.

I would do this for a few days, if tolerable.

If it's not, and it was me, I would go back to the Dr and say you couldn't tolerate 2x2.5mgs.

Again, just to make very clear, this is just advice from a ritalin noob ;) .... who has done a little bit of reading about it.

It is actual ritalin or a generic form of it?

Have you asked about in the Australia section for advice on other meds?

I hope someone else can comment on this thread too as I am new to this too!

All the best : )

fizzlesticks

12-02-08, 12:44 AM

I was a bit ticked off today to find out that my psychiatrist has gone on holiday, leaving me without a life-line. There's apparently a stand-in, so I'll try and get an appointment with him. I presume GPs know nothing about / can't prescribe ADHD meds.

It's actual Ritalin. I've just visited the Aust. thread; will post later.

Will try the 2.5 plan after a couple of day's well-needed break.

fizzlesticks

12-03-08, 06:59 AM

Day 5 (took a break yesterday)

I went back to the 2.5mg doses as suggested.

Took a really long time for the first one to kick in (i.e. for me to wake up). About 2 or 2.5 hrs in I felt like I could focus better.

The afternoon dose helped me concentrate for a while; then (perhaps because of all the tea I'd been drinking), I got really fidgety and (frankly) suddenly horny. Very.

Anyhoo, that's a better response, I think, than in previous days--if inconsistent. Maybe I'm settling into it? Even the dry-mouth wasn't so bad.

Perhaps I'll titrate up to 5mg doses in a week or two and see if I still get the unpleasant side-effects.

Destracted_UK

12-04-08, 08:31 AM

That's good to hear : )

Yeh, leave it a week at that level at least, let your body get used to it and then move up *that's what I would do*

Glad it's being tolerated and you are getting some benefit.

:)

fizzlesticks

12-04-08, 11:50 AM

I think it's helping even more today. I've been fairly productive!

How are you going with yours, Destracted?

Silver Gemini

12-04-08, 01:55 PM

Hi Fizz,

I use methylphenedate (ritalin generic) due to cost issues as well. I use it for very specific purposes as it is not a cure all. I have been very successful at work because of it and maybe I'll PM you with my strategy because I tell no one about my ADD (it's my competitive advantage) and this is very public.

I take 15mg and it lifts as quick as it drops. I can count on about 3 hours of solid focus, about the same amount of time with no appetite and sometimes I can get my brain to continue the effects, much like biofeedback trains you to do.

Destracted_UK

12-04-08, 05:31 PM

@ fizzlesticks

Glad it's still playing fair!

Mine is working ok. Am motivated to start/complete things, my head is alot lot quieter, I do things in what I consider to be a normal order and don't get sidetracked. In fact, pretty much most of what I wanted! Still making simple errors on things that I know I shouldn't be though.

It's only day 5 but the difference between this and generic is like night and day - I don't understand why that is - but I love that it is!

I am probably going to stick to 2x5mgs for a full two weeks then titrate up to a 10 and 5 for a week and see what gives.

Still getting a comedown for an hour in the evening but its no way near as empty-making as the last one so the trade off is working. I am hoping this may pass once I am fully settled.

fizzlesticks

12-07-08, 01:05 AM

Hi Silver - thank you for the email. :)

@ fizzlesticks

Glad it's still playing fair!

Mine is working ok. Am motivated to start/complete things, my head is alot lot quieter, I do things in what I consider to be a normal order and don't get sidetracked. In fact, pretty much most of what I wanted! Still making simple errors on things that I know I shouldn't be though.

It's only day 5 but the difference between this and generic is like night and day - I don't understand why that is - but I love that it is!

I am probably going to stick to 2x5mgs for a full two weeks then titrate up to a 10 and 5 for a week and see what gives.

Still getting a comedown for an hour in the evening but its no way near as empty-making as the last one so the trade off is working. I am hoping this may pass once I am fully settled.

I'm glad yours is working out well.
I've just been drowsy for the past couple of days, and not really feeling anything from the meds. Not sure what's going on. I've not been very focused.

I think I might call my GP this week and have a chat, since my shrink is away.

soma36

12-07-08, 02:17 AM

Hi Silver - thank you for the email. :)

I'm glad yours is working out well.
I've just been drowsy for the past couple of days, and not really feeling anything from the meds. Not sure what's going on. I've not been very focused.

I think I might call my GP this week and have a chat, since my shrink is away.

My fifth day now, and its a bit up and down. Actually the last few days I have had 3 different reactions to my medication! One day I felt I could concentrate and was not fidgity, but anxious. The next I felt quite stimulated, able to concentrate but just as fidgity and restless physically as usual. Today I felt calmer, sleepy, but my concentration/focus was as transient as always.

Not panicking yet, but kind of hard to understand. I think, things are going better...........!!

fizzlesticks

12-10-08, 10:26 AM

I decided to get a second opinion.

The new psychiatrist is fantastic, and much more thorough, if a little scary (in that intense, matter-of-fact way).

She informed me that it's illegal to prescribe stimulants to over-18s without sending a letter to the government for approval, which has about a two-week turnaround. This means, of course, that Dr #1 prescribed Ritalin for me illegally. Bizarre. I won't be going back to him.

She was also appalled at the reaction I had to Ritalin, how tiny a dose I can handle, and how few benefits I'm getting, so once I've had an IQ test, which can confirm the diagnosis by spotting attention problems (but, oh my, it costs the earth!), we'll try different meds and behavioural strategies until we get it right. All good news; now I just need patience.

I'd like to try Dex first--a few people here have mentioned that it tends to work better for those for whom Ritalin doesn't work--and she also suggested Strattera. I have concerns about being on something that works 24/7; I like the way you only take stims when you need them. But she reminded me that I'm unhappy the way I am, and I lose nothing by giving drugs like Strattera a chance.

Onwards!

Driver

12-10-08, 07:33 PM

I'm late to the thread, but your original psych has sold you a furfy.

For the list of meds available, go here: http://www.pbs.gov.au/html/consumer/search/results?atc-code=N06B&publication=

In short: Strattera, Concerta, Ritalin/Attenta and Dexamphetamine.

State laws differ on the prescribing of these meds, so I dunno if the letter to the govt is necessary or not.

As for your GP prescribing meds: they can do it, only in an emergency though.

Forgot to add: I've started on Attenta myself (Rit generic). So welcome to the club.

fizzlesticks

12-11-08, 07:37 PM

A furfy was indeed sold!

Thanks for that list; that was very helpful!

Driver

12-11-08, 07:40 PM

Just further: Vyvanse is currently being trialled in Australia too. It's not on the PBS, so I think I month's supply will set you back $50.

RiverIsSerenity

12-11-08, 09:45 PM

I'm late to the thread, but your original psych has sold you a furfy.

A furfy was indeed sold!

Um, dumb Texan here. What's a furfy? :o

Driver

12-11-08, 09:51 PM

Um, dumb Texan here. What's a furfy? :o

It's a bit of Australian slang, but you can read about it here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furphy) in Wiki.

In the context I used it, I meant that the OP had been told a false story.

fizzlesticks

12-15-08, 10:08 AM

Righto - I have another appointment with the new psychiatrist on the 14th of Jan, and I'm taking an IQ test on the 23rd of December. All booked in.

fizzlesticks

12-23-08, 10:42 AM

This isn't really Ritalin-themed, but I'm not keen to make multiple threads for my one little ADHD journey.

This ain't easy. I've got so many friends trying to give me advice and diagnose (or undiagnose!) me that I've just gone into information overdrive and freaked out a bit today. I just want to rely on what I and my psychiatrist know and think, and I wish everyone else would be quiet. It's making my head 1000x noisier.

I took an IQ test today at the psychiatrist's request to help rule out other learning difficulties and, well, I'm certainly not dull. ;)

But yeah. This evening, sitting around the dinner table, my mother, father and mum's best friend (who's like an aunt) were all giving me their opinions on whether I have or don't have ADHD and all talking at once and it all got too much. I was fidgeting like mad all evening and had a panic attack once everyone had gone to bed. I'm still kind of wired and overthinking now, but because I've been listening to positive music all evening it's kind of restless and hyperactive and dancey now. Which is confusing.

Anyhoo. It's been a long, tough day and I'm impatient and want to get to the bottom of this soon and start working on a solution.

Driver

12-23-08, 04:06 PM

In regards to the nay-sayers: thank them for their concern and ask them to respect your decision to see a psychiatrist and get help.

fizzlesticks

01-14-09, 08:45 AM

I've shifted my little diary to the Adult ADD forum (http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=62222).

We're going to try Strattera. :)