Posted by Racer on October 12, 2006, at 12:43:35
In reply to Re: Inattentive ADD meds.... » jealibeanz, posted by pseudoname on October 12, 2006, at 11:32:43
Adderall increased my depression, too, and my then-pdoc said it was a known side effect for some people. Dexedrine was somewhat helpful for me, maybe moderate success? Good enough I'd have kept taking it, I guess, except for something totally unrelated to that drug.
Ritalin was a success for me, in terms of attention and mood brightening -- but I had a side effect I couldn't handle. I was told it would likely go away as I adjusted to the drug, but I couldn't wait it out. The three side effects I had with it, which would all likely have faded out, two of which I could have waited out, were headaches, feeling "high", and appetite stimulation. Right now, for various reasons I won't go into, I've been taking Ritalin temporarily from an old prescription, while waiting for an appointment with a new pdoc. (I've got a cabinet full of stimulants, at this point, from prescriptions that didn't work out.)
As for anxiety, the stimulants quieten my background chatter -- all those intrusive thoughts, the obsessive rumination, etc -- enough to reduce my anxiety. I don't feel as though I'm jumping out of my chair to relieve my anxiety, which sometimes happens for me otherwise. I'm mixed in my opinion about sleeping with it, though. I would have said it helped my sleep, by regularizing my sleep patterns since I'm not napping so much during the day. Right now, though, I'm in an insomniac phase, so I can't tell if the Ritalin is helping with that or not.
If you do try it, I'd recommend starting with a half tablet twice a day for a day or two, before moving up to the full 5mg. That way, you can get adusted a bit, and maybe not feel so high. Also, if it works for you, the long acting sort is great. Not as much rollercoaster from it.
Hope that helps.
poster:Racer
thread:694123
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20061011/msgs/694164.html