seperis | new medication

So question for the day. I was going to restrict this to my flist, but I'm not sure how many are on this, so.

I started Ritalin yesterday. So far, it's actually a lot less stressful than ephedrine and I'm not irritable or jumpy like I worried I'd be. And I do feel more energized adn more able to focus. But Im not sure I'm seeing a real change in concentration yet.

I'm also aware placebo effect is in force here, so I'm trying to be objective and track what's actually happening as opposed to what I really want to happen. I'm 20 MG twice a day.

So. Share? Please?

I'm not on Ritalin anymore, but when I was on it, it worked really well for me; my GPA skyrocketed and I was actually capable of paying attention to one thing for more than a moment or two at a time. The extended release version didn't really work as well for me, though.

Should it be an immediate thing or should I be waiting for build up? The only real side effect I'm feeling so far is a general raise in mood--less. Hmm. Like I'm overwhelmed. I'm trying to track if I'm actually feeling more focused, and I think so, but I'm also thinking it might be too soon to tell.

Thank you, btw, for dropping by!

Plain, non-extended release Ritalin works right away, but after a few days the effect should be a lot more noticeable. At least, it was for me, but I was on a couple other drugs at the time, and there may have been a synergistic effect. Ritalin is chemically related to amphetamines, so a boost in mood and energy isn't unusual.

I don't know about Ritalin, but a lot of mood altering meds you'll get the side effects right away but it may take a week or so to get the effects you're actually taking the meds to produce.

I was thikning that too. the only real side effect I've noticed is a--not euphoria, exactly, but feeling less overwhelmed and more positive.

If you have someone you trust, it can be helpful to ask them to evaluate your mood. Ideally, someone who's not too invested in the meds working for you, as they tend to give false positives.

That's a really good idea, I usually ask someone who doesn't know I've been taking medication if they've noticed any changes in my mood/attitude/productivity, like someone I get along with really well at work.

Kepping a journal of how you're feeling for a few weeks can work too, to see how you progress.

I knew people who used to use it like they would speed because for people who aren't ADD it's a serious upper. (God, what does that say about the people I was friends with *facepalm*) So I'm not surprised you're feeling an energy boost. *G*

Also, I personally react very well and very quickly to anti-depressants because I don't take a whole lot of drugs in general, so you may genuinely be feeling the effects, for some people various medications just work really well and really quickly.

I don't have any experience in how it's supposed to work in adults though. :(

I had friends in college who sold their ritalin on weekends. *shakes head*

I was worried actually it would make me all--er. Overstimulated. So it was a pleasant surprise I wasn't like, peeling myself off hte ceiling or something.

Heh. Well, I'm glad you're feeling better, even if it is a placebo effect, and it's good it didn't send you to the ceiling, LOL

It's an upper for everyone, but it does tend to have a different effect for people who crush it and snort it rather than take as directed.

I don't take Ritalin, but I do have some experience with swapping around slow-onset meds.

It's quite possible that the ephedrine had a potentially positive effect, that was being masked by its negative effects. And now the Ritalin is carrying forward the positive effect, and counter-acting the ephedrine's negative effect.

When I took ephedrine, the thing that always scared me was it *felt* like an upper--it improved my concentratoin and work somewhat, but it also was very jittery and fragile feeling, and led to a lot of irritabilty. So far, Ritalin is defintiely not doing that part, which is a huge relief.

I've seen people take their ridalin and within 20 minutes see the affect. So in that case it CAN be pretty direct, but he had been on it for a while, but it was a 'voluntary' dosage, i.e. for school and little else.

So-- it might be possible to feel something right away.

I was wondering if there was some kind fo build up at first or if it was instant-work.

Thank you.

Also, seriosuly, that icon is freaking me out. In a good way!

It was-- I was babysitting and the kid had had an active day, but the parents needed him to settle down and do some HW while I was there.

I saw him take the pill and I watched him just-- become calm. It was v. odd.

But again, he had been on it for a while. But I still think it's possible to have a real affect within the time of taking it.

p.s. I love that Icon too. *G*

You don't know me; I'm a lurker who has been enjoying your writing for some time, but I had to jump in here.

I've been on various stimulants on and off for 8 years, since I was diagnosed with ADHD at 18. I'm also currently working as a pharmacy tech (I assist the pharmacist). So this is personal experience and a bit more.

Ritalin and dexedrine (and the other stimulants) aren't like the other mood altering meds like SSRIs. They don't take weeks or even days to work: they take effect immediately and wear off just as fast. I've noticed some decrease in effectiveness with long term use, actually, like I build up a tolerance, so I don't take my pills on the weekends. The only time I ever got jumpy because of the meds was the day I had just increased my dose and doubled my coffee that morning - my whole body shook for a little while. Also, if your doctor didn't warn you: stimulants can increase heartrate and blood pressure and cause other heart problems. If you feel your heart racing, take your blood pressure and if it's up, talk to your doctor. My mother (who was diagnosed right after I was) ended up in the hospital briefly.

When I was first taking Ritalin I lost a ton of weight (so much that my doctor took me off it) but did better in school than ever before in my life. I don't always notice that I'm more focused, but the people around me would sometimes ask if I'd forgotten my meds and I'd realize that I had. As for mood alteration, I seem to become much more serious, less cheerful, less jokey. But not depressed or anything - just sober. But that doesn't last beyond the meds wearing off.

The thing I'm most grateful to stimulants for is curbing my impulsiveness. Without, I'm extremely talkative and constantly embarrassed by what I just said (which leads to neurotic tendencies). With, I take the couple of seconds to evaluate if I really want to say that, if it's appropriate, all that stuff. It lets me get along a lot better with my co-workers.

Well, that was long-winded. Did it help? Is there anything else you want to know?

No, awesome, thanks for dropping in!

Hmm. So far, there haven't been any problems with heart rate--i was kind of worried about that after reading up on the websites. I'm really not sure about focus and concentration--i feel clearer, but I'm worried I'm reacting to the fact I'm on this than actual effects.

And this helped a *lot*. Marking now for re-reading as I continue my adventures. *g* Thank you very, very much.

I took Ritalin as a kid, and while I didn't notice a difference, my parents and teachers noticed a *huge* difference in my concentration. Perhaps you could ask someone you trust to evaluate your concentration level for the next few weeks?

that would probably be the most practical thing. I may ask a coworker to evaluate me, now that I think bout it--he's close by and can check.

I've been taking Ritalin on and off for the last 14 years (I was diagnosed at 13), I got out of the habit of taking it recently and I can tell that I haven't been taking it. Everyone can tell when I take my meds, I'm much less tangental and easier to follow. I can tell my meds kick in because my brain doesn't feel as jumbled, murkey and overwhelmed by everything. At this point I don't know if I notice them kicking in because of a major change or if I notice them kicking in because I've been on the stuff for a while now.

I've also had the appetite loss effect, the weight loss effect and the sleep problem. I try to avoid taking it later in the day because it does make me less able to sleep.

Thank you so much.

I'm seriously marking this entry to read back later as I get more used to this.

Which is an extended release version of methy-whatever, same as Ritalin, works as fast as the pill coating breaks down. My version has a coating designed to put 36mg into my system within 20 minutes, by which time the slower disolving layers keep 36mg in there for an eight to 10 hour period.

The extended release protocol was to start at 18mg and increase by 18mg until one reaches the desired level of effectiveness.

Aside:
Desired level of effectiveness, of course, varies wildly. I can tell you this: medication helped me with the ability to maintain focus only. It did not help me like the things I needed to focus on any better than when Not Liking equaled Instant Distraction.
end aside

I went from 18mg to 36mg after six months, not realizing that there's more to dealing with ADD than the ability to focus. The canaries in my coal mine are two: am I keeping my apartment clean, and am I getting to work on time? There was the initial honeymoon period where everything seems to be sharper, easier to finish, etc., followed by a slow returning to old ways. I noticed a slight improvement going from 18 to 36, so, after a year and promotion to a new job, figure the next bump to 54mg could only be better! whee!

Short version: Oh, hell no.

Longer version: At 54mg of Concerta, there was no appreciable improvement in my attention span, focus, or motivation (for want of a better word.) There were, suddenly, side effects, though I did not recognize it fully until I stepped back down to 36mg. The most noticeable side effect was an alarming increase in heartrate and facial flush whenever I got upset, which at my new job, was quite a frequent occurence. In hindsight, having read up on Concerta, I realize I was also suffering from anxiety and growing paranoia. It's a chicken/egg thing, because it turned out people in that group were talking about me behind my back, but would they have been had I not been feeling the effects?

I stepped back to 36mg at the same time I started taking 10mg per day of generic Prozac (side effect of the job was a two week period during which I always wanted to cry, and would do so at the drop of a hat. Again, chicken/egg. The job was a very bad situation for me, but would it have been that bad without the extra kick?)

I will never know if the subsequent improvement in my outlook resulted from reduction of my Concerta dosage, addition of a small amount of anti-depressant, or leaving those back-stabbing bastards to swim in their own cesspool or some combination of the above.

What I do know is that for me, there is some synergystic thing going on between the 36mg of Concerta and 10mg of generic Prozac that works better than 36mg of Concerta alone. For the eight to 10 hours the Concerta is effective, I can focus on the things I need to and suffer fools, um...if not gladly, then without gnawing off random limbs. In other words, the Prozac seems to give my motivation to do the things I can now focus on a little nudge to the better.

Where the rubber meets the road for me in identifying the placebo effect is the strong encouragement of my co-workers to refill when they find out I've let the prescription lapse (takes them about two days to notice,) and my overall productivity when comparing medicated days with days at Club Med-Free, as I like to call it.

Shortest answer: Even with extended release medication, I experience a "clearing of the fog" (everything sort of sharpened up) within about half an hour of taking my very first Concerta capsule. This is a fast acting drug. That you can't tell a difference could mean (1) you do not yet realize what the difference for you is going to be or (2) this may not be the ADD med for you.

They don't all work for everyone. Reading some ADD newsgroups, I now realize that I was staggeringly, gob-smackingly lucky that the first one I tried did anything at all with no side effects until I jacked up the dose too much.

I've never been on anything but extended release, but from what I've read? Beware the mid-day crash that comes when your first dose wears off.

*hugs* Thanks for the personal expereince.

I'm thinking of trying to track what's going on with me to see if I notice any patterns like that. So far, honestly, I don't feel any side effects at all except that initial bit of euphoria.

Ritalin didn't work for me- I might have been able to concentrate better, but I couldn't tell because I was too busy bouncing off walls.

With the other ADD meds I've been on, I've usually found that at first I have an immediate very positive reaction (phase 1), followed by a period of a month or so when it's not as effective (phase 2), after which my reaction slowly gets better until the medication's effectiveness plateaus somewhere a little bit below what it was during the initial phase (phase 3).

My personal opinion is that these three phases correspond the the following mindsets:
Phase 1: OMG I can THINK!!! This is the best thing EVER!!
Phase 2: Erk, side effects. Also, being able to think clearly just means I can fully appreciate the rest of the crap in my life that won't be solved by taking this medication.
Phase 3: Hey, fewer side effects (or I've learned to live with them), and this "concentration" thing is kinda awesome. Look, ma, I can organize!

It's possible that my experience doesn't match anyone else's, since I tend to get hit really hard by side effects- every ADD med I've been on has drastically decreased my appetite, some to the point where even thinking about food makes me want to throw up. (It's hard to tell whether your lack of concentration is due to an ineffective medication or the fact that you haven't eaten in two days.)

You might want to do a little Googling and see if you can find some sort of questionnaire you can use daily or weekly or whatever. Once of my previous therapists got tired of me overthinking my response when she asked me how I was doing, so she started giving me a mini-questionnaire each time I saw her with questions that addressed more specific things, like whether my concentration level at work had impeded my ability to do my job in the last two weeks. That worked better than me trying to collate all the information in my head and trying to figure out how to judge or weight various events and whatnot- she got a more accurate reading on my state and we could track my progress over time.

Ooh, that is a good idea, the questionairre. *g* My doctor is always getting frustrated with me because I'm always like "Okay, I think, but this could be my imagination,,,," Or "I'm not sure if I really feel this way becaues it's been a bad week...."

He's just started at me and kind of tried not to go crazy.

Thanks so much for the personal experiences. I'm going to mark this entry so I can read it later as I get used to this stuff.

Hmmm. Side note here, I've never been on Ritalin, or taken it recreationally. I know Jenn is completely uninterested in pot, but I've spoken to a couple people on this, and if you're on Ritalin, DO NOT use pot. It apparently does really bad things to heartrate.

I've known at least a couple people who take Ritalin only at work, or only at school. The effects are fast, and when it wears off, it's off (though I've sometimes wondered if there's a "crash" effect). People do develop tolerances, however, which is something to keep in mind.

I did notice a definite crash--not horrific, but noticeable.

And yeah, I'm scared to take *antyhing* with this. I've even stopped my vitamins until I've been taking this at least a week so I know exactly how I'm supposed to feel on it.

I couldn't speak for Ritalin, since I'm on Adderall (40mg/day) but the energy and focus come first, and the concentration comes when you actually ... buckle down and do something. The trick is in doing the right thing; I've concentrated on color-coding my calendar for the next six months instead of, you know, writing papers.

*facepalm* You know I'll be reorganzing my del.icio.us stuff, don't you?

Oh God. *giggles*

It's been years since I've been on it, but I remember it helping. The problem is that any medication is just a tool to push you in the right direction. My problem was that I didn't get diagnosed with ADD until I was 17 or 18. By then, I had learned all sorts of bad behaviors regarding my work ethic. So yes, it helped, but it didn't solve my problems. I often wonder if I would benefit from it now, but as I am trying to get pregnant, I'll have to wait. Also, it took a little while before my doctor and I settled on the right dose. If it doesn't seem to be doing anything, you may need a higher dose.

I only got diagnosed in the last couple weeks, and I've been trying to keep track of my bio-feedback, too. My doctor actually told me to experiment with the Ritalin dosage and scheduling, to see what worked for me. It might be that you need more--or even less than what you're taking now.

The thing I didn't like about Ritalin was that I did get tired once it wore off in about 2-3 hours--I crashed hard a few times--and then being in a coma for twenty minutes until it kicked in again is. Not cool. I'm trying Adderall now, which is working much more smoothly--I can tell when it wears off, but it's more of a mental awareness (a re-fuzziness?). Adderall lasts a lot longer for me: 5 mg will do me when I needed 10-15 for the same effect. And I'm surprised by how normal I feel--clear, alert, no cobwebs. I do have to keep myself hydrated, though--it's a liquid sucker.

I'm assuming you're taking time-release, which I never took, but I've taken most of the ADD meds except Strattera and Concerta (including old school things like Cylert), and I can tell you that the first time I took 5mg of non-time-release Ritalin I felt fairly euphoric... not too wired, but a little, but that effect quickly wore off after the first couple of doses. Like all amphetamines it is an upper and definitely always had an antidepressant effect on me as well, but it wasn't like suddenly my concentration was normal--and even if it had been I wouldn't have had any frame of reference for that because I had never experienced "normal" concentration in my life. (Even now, with drugs, I can still only approximate it sometimes).

Which brings me to the thing I think a lot of people don't get about ADD and ADHD--it isn't just about the inability to focus, but the inability to selectively control attention with the same ease non-ADD people can. Far from having no ability to focus, a lot of ADD people can hyperfocus; not everyone with ADD can do this, but it's common. (By hyperfocus, I mean sitting at the computer reading or writing fic--just to pick a relevant example *g*--or playing videogames or whatever for hours and the house could be burning down and you'd be like, "I just need to finish this bit"... which also answers the frequently asked question, but if you have ADD how come you can concentrate so intensely on stuff you're interested in?)

It's like there's an on switch and an off switch for concentration and nothing in the middle, so if ON=hyperfocused and OFF=complete inability to focus, the middle state or "normal" concentration may initially feel like you're not really that focused... because to you, all concentration has ever felt like is hyperfocus. Does that make sense? So when you say you feel more able to focus now, I actually read that as the drugs working. It may just take you a little while to get used to.

I'm on the short one? Plain Ritalin.

I *can* feel a difference when it ends, though I'm not sure--hmm. Kind of a downward feeling and eerything gets a little more confused.

ADD isn't a problem in my family, but we do have some psych problems and diabetes runs rampant (nearly a clean sweep of the immediate family, actually. Brother somehow dodged the bullet). Have discovered several things but feel free to disregard.

1.Everybody reacts different to the meds, due to body chemistry, diet, other meds, time of day, etc. Finding what works best is a pain in the fundament. Does mean you find out who your friends are, tho'.

2. Find a support group in addition to family/friends, RL or not. Not only can they tell you personal experiences, they can help navigate the pitfalls. My family leans towards depression and bi-polar disorder, but psych meds are psych meds. Plus, new friends to go with the old! Whee!

3. Tell the doc everything and if they don't listen, find someone else. Sis went through three before finding one she liked. I've had to tell mine stuff I thought embarrassing- she was cool about it, all "why're you embarrassed? It's just biology." Lovely woman. :D

4. make sure your diet isn't part of the problem. My family reacts poorly to red dye- myself and Neice calmed down considerably after its removal. It made us highly distractable. Neice had an ADHD diagnosis until Mom clued in.

As I said, feel free to disregard if I'm stepping toes. Good luck!

Between me and the kids, I have tons of experience with a variety of ADD meds:

For

onnakitty, Ritalin was an emotional roller-coaster. I could tell when it was wearing off, because she'd be going along just fine and then suddenly she'd have a melt-down. We switched her to extended-release Dexedrine, which worked wonderfully but made her not hungry to the point where she was getting queasy from low blood sugar. She's also taken Concerta (extended-release Ritalin), which worked fine for a time, but lost effectiveness after a few months, and Adderall, which also left her queasy. She's not taking anything right now, and boy can you tell. *g*

shadowbat used to take Concerta, until he had the same loss-of-effectiveness issues that

onnakitty did. He takes Metadate (10mg twice daily) now, which is another version of extended-release Ritalin. I haven't noticed a tolerance problem with it. He hasn't had any appetite-suppressant issues, as far as I can tell. If he's not eating as much as he'd otherwise be eating? Um. That thought terrifies me, actually. *g*

I briefly took Ritalin, but I lost the ability to multi-task while on it, and so I bailed and didn't take anything for a while. I've been on Dexedrine for nearly a decade now, though, and I love it. Extended-release 10mg caps, one to two a day. I notice the effects, but only in a "wow, look at everything I got done today" kind of way.

Feel free to email me if you have specific questions or concerns you think I could help with.

I just want to make a note to tell you to make sure you chew gum or use a dry mouth mouthwash, if you don't already. I know it sounds strange, but you need to keep up the production of saliva in your mouth.

Profile

seperis

Page Summary

Quotes

If you don't send me feedback, I will sob uncontrollably for hours on end, until finally, in a fit of depression, I slash my wrists and bleed out on the bathroom floor. My death will be on your heads. Murderers
. -- Unknown, on feedback
BTS List
That's why he goes bad, you know -- all the good people hit him on the head or try to shoot him and constantly mistrust him, while there's this vast cohort of minions saying, We wouldn't hurt you, Lex, and we'll give you power and greatness and oh so much sex...
Wow. That was scary. Lex is like Jesus in the desert.
-- pricklyelf, on why Lex goes bad
LJ
Obi-Wan has a sort of desperate, pathetic patience in this movie. You can just see it in his eyes: "My padawan is a psychopath, and no one will believe me; I'm barely keeping him under control and expect to wake up any night now to find him standing over my bed with a knife!"
-- Teague, reviewing "Star Wars: Attack of the Clones"
LJ
Beth: god, why do i have so many beads?
Jenn: Because you are an addict.
Jenn: There are twelve step programs for this.
Beth: i dunno they'd work, might have to go straight for the electroshock.
Jenn: I'm not sure that helps with bead addiction.
Beth: i was thinking more to demagnitize my credit card.
-- hwmitzy and seperis, on bead addiction
AIM, 12/24/2003
I could rape a goat and it will DIE PRETTIER than they write.
-- anonymous, on terrible writing
AIM, 2/17/2004
In medical billing there is a diagnosis code for someone who commits suicide by sea anenemoe.
-- silverkyst, on wtf
AIM, 3/25/2004
Anonymous: sorry. i just wanted to tell you how much i liked you. i'd like to take this to a higher level if you're willing
Eleveninches: By higher level I hope you mean email.
-- eleveninches and anonymous, on things that are disturbing
LJ, 4/2/2004
silverkyst: I need to not be taking molecular genetics.
silverkyst: though, as a sidenote, I did learn how to eviscerate a fruit fly larvae by pulling it's mouth out by it's mouthparts today.
silverkyst: I'm just nowhere near competent in the subject material to be taking it.
Jenn: I'd like to thank you for that image.
-- silverkyst and seperis, on more wtf
AIM, 1/25/2005
You know, if obi-wan had just disciplined the boy *properly* we wouldn't be having these problems. Can't you just see yoda? "Take him in hand, you must. The true Force, you must show him."
-- Issaro, on spanking Anakin in his formative years
LJ, 3/15/2005
Aside from the fact that one person should never go near another with a penis, a bottle of body wash, and a hopeful expression...
-- Summerfling, on shower sex
LJ, 7/22/2005
It's weird, after you get used to the affection you get from a rabbit, it's like any other BDSM relationship. Only without the sex and hot chicks in leather corsets wielding floggers. You'll grow to like it.
-- revelininsanity, on my relationship with my rabbit
LJ, 2/7/2006
Smudged upon the near horizon, lapine shadows in the mist. Like a doomsday vision from Watership Down, the bunny intervention approaches.
-- cpt_untouchable, on my addition of The Fourth Bunny
LJ, 4/13/2006
Rule 3. Chemistry is kind of like bondage. Some people like it, some people like reading about or watching other people doing it, and a large number of people's reaction to actually doing the serious stuff is to recoil in horror.
-- deadlychameleon, on class
LJ, 9/1/2007
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Fan Fiction is John Cusack standing outside your house with a boombox.
-- JRDSkinner, on fanfiction
Twitter
I will unashamedly and unapologetically celebrate the joy and the warmth and the creativity of a community of people sharing something positive and beautiful and connective and if you don’t like it you are most welcome to very fuck off.
-- Michael Sheen, on Good Omens fanfic
Twitter, 6/19/2019
Adding for Mastodon.
-- Jenn, traceback
Fosstodon, 11/6/2022

Credit

Base style: Open Spaces by seperis
Theme: New Green by seperis

November 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 2022

Page generated Jan. 24th, 2026 01:21 pm

Profile

Links

Page Summary

Quotes

Credit