Posted by Krazy Kat on June 18, 2002, at 9:43:18
In reply to Want to try stimulants, I need advice, posted by rainbowlight on June 17, 2002, at 23:23:23
heh rainbowlight. i'm replying to this before reading the other posts so forgive me if i'm repetitive.
i'm bipolar and take depakote. i get manic if i take ad's according to past experiences.
my pdoc prescribed provigil to offset the side effects of depakote which are similar to those of add for me - inability to focus, etc.
provigil made me very anxious and irritable. he chose that one first because he'd seen good results with others, but we all vary, eh?
So Ritalin was next. Ritalin lasts only about 4-5 hours for most, and for me it was only about 2. so that roller coaster ride did not work.
next was concerta, an extend-release form of ritalin. this has been pretty good for me, though it also seems to go through my system more quickly than other folks. and, it causes anxiety and "jumpiness" and irritability after about 6 hours, though not nearly as bad as Provigil.
So, here is what I am trying now - morning 1000 mg Depakote, 18 mg. Concerta. Afternoon 1000 depakote and 18 mg. concerta.
i'm re-adding some neurontin to help with the anxiety.
why is your pdoc worried? the whole stim-addiction thing? i haven't felt any need for an increase in the med. sometimes i get tired in the evening, but that's been from the beginning and could be remedied with 5 mg. of ritalin as an adjunct. it's just a question of how long do i need to be active during the day.
i AM tired w/o the concerta, but Depakote does that to me. I have no idea how I would feel if I stopped all meds.
hope that helped.
- kk
poster:Krazy Kat
thread:110187
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020617/msgs/110206.html