Posted by Ritch on April 20, 2002, at 8:39:34
In reply to Re: switch from ritalin to ?-Ritch/Mitch, posted by Bekka H. on April 19, 2002, at 23:38:14
> > Bekka,
> >
> > Thanks for replying. This is just an experiment. I was just written for 15 tabs of 5mg. I am between major depressions and now is the time to experiment with different meds that can work for the potentially life-threatening depressions (and to check to see how my mood is affected). We already know that stimulants (Adderall, thus far) has worked better than anything else without triggering hypomania/cycling (and that at just 5mg/day for several weeks), BUT, I got too nervous with the Adderall, and plain Dexedrine actually made me drowsy, groggy, and on average I made more mistakes at work. So, we are trying to find the success with major depression and ADHD(without rapid cycling) that I got with the Adderall but without the *anxiety*. I was told if this works I will probably flip to Concerta (see if I am still responding positively). If it doesn't-then we are going to be looking at selegiline or add back nortriptyline-very cheap and works, but cycling is affected, I get numbness, and Q-T interval is prolonged, and it is more toxic than stimulants in overdose (wonderful).
> > Mitch
>
> ***********************************************
>
> Hi Mitch,
>
> It looks as if you and I have some symptoms and medication responses that are very similar. I have one other word of caution that I think I should mention regarding methylphenidate/mph (you said you might try Concerta). . .Switching from an amphetamine (either Dexedrine or Adderall) to methylphenidate can be a little bit difficult at first. For me, it takes one to two weeks of Dexedrine withdrawal before I can even tell how methylphenidate is affecting me. I'm referring to a withdrawal period that occurs even though I might be on another stimulant (mph, for example). The first time I tried to take Concerta, after I'd been on Dexedrine for a while, I got very sluggish, dull, depressed and tearful. I thought that meant that Concerta was no good for me and made me depressed. I tried this Dex to Concerta/ritalin switch on a number of occasions, but I kept giving up on MPH too soon. Finally, this past fall, I spent many weeks off of Dex, and I was finally able to see what MPH was doing on its own. So, don't give up. Give it at least a few weeks.
>
> As for Focalin, as I said in the previous post, I tried it for only a couple of days, so the only thing I have to say about it is that it's very intense, very potent, and be sure to start with a small dose.
>
> Bekka
Bekka,I have already been off dexedrine for about a week now. The first day or two off of it was kind of icky, but not that bad. So, by the time I try the Focalin it will probably be nearly two weeks off the dexedrine. I plan on just taking half a tab (2.5mg), which is the same thing I did when I first tried Adderall and then Dexedrine. I plan on just trying it for a two-three day stretch 2-3 doses/day during the week while I am working and see how I react to it. So, I will be looking at several variables: 1) Does it make me irritable? (Adderall did somewhat-but dex didn't), 2) Does it make me anxious around others?, 3) Does it improve my ability to hear and decode speech more readily? 4) Do I make fewer or more mistakes at work-is it making me "overfocus", etc. 5) What is the "crash" like-how is my sleep affected?, etc.etc.
Mitch
poster:Ritch
thread:103464
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020416/msgs/103631.html