Long Term Ritalin User with Depression

[Sparrow84]

I have a serious concern and I am wondering if anyone else has experienced this and come out on the other side. I have been on Ritalin and various ADD medications since age 6. Around age 16 I started to have pretty debilitating depression and got on anti-depressants. Recently I had an adverse reaction to an anti-depressant that forced me to discontinue all meds. Since that time I have had severe anhedonia (loss of ability to feel pleasure.) Let me preface this by saying that I am not posting intending to scare anyone, I'm just trying to get any answers that I can because I am very scared. What I am wondering is, is it possible that the long term Ritalin use has caused my anhedonia? Granted, I think that the adverse anti-depressant reaction did not help the situation, but I am wondering if now that I'm off all meds, I am seeing myself as I really am, a shell who can't feel pleasure. I have read that long term meth and cocaine addicts can lose the ability to feel pleasure, and I'm wondering if this is what has happened to me. I am also wondering if anyone else has experienced this, discontinued taking ritalin, and eventually regained the ability to feel pleasure over the course of many months or years. I would welcome any advice.

[Driver]

You may be cytochrome P450-2D6 deficient, which is why you react badly to anti-depressants.

But anhedonia has been known to be present in chronic meth and cocaine abusers.

What was your Ritalin dosage?

[Sparrow84]

For years, I was on 20, 20, 20, and 10. In the past 3 few years I've been using it only as needed because it makes me so nervous. I used it a whole lot in college (2002-2006). I probably took more than I should have for all nighters and did not always use it properly if you know what I mean (very stupid I know). Did you experience a similar problem with Ritalin and depression?

[Sparrow84]

Is there a way for them to test for the deficiency that you mentioned?

[Sparrow84]

Is there a way for doctors to test for the deficiency that you mentioned?

[Driver]

You can DNA/gene test for CYP-2D6 deficiency.

No I didn't have the issue when I was on Ritalin, as I wasn't on it for the long. The only depression related prob I had was the afternoon crash, but that lessened with time.

As for Lexapro: I'm still going strong without any reactions or side-effects.

[peripatetic]

hi sparrow84,

could your current loss of feeling pleasure be due to a recurrence of your depression, or a new symptom of it?

i'm not sure about the potential for ritalin to cause anhedonia in general. i haven't experienced that and i've been taking a hefty daily dose for well over a decade. however, i don't suffer from depression. my gut reaction is that the depression plays a major role in what you're experiencing, but i have neither the medical nor personal expertise to say for certain.

have you talked it over with your doctor? any insights there?

i'm very sorry this is happening to you and i do hope you begin to feel better soon