Posted by yellowbird01 on September 8, 2011, at 12:55:51
I took concerta 54mg for about a year for major depression, prescribed by my psychiatrist after no response over several years to anti-depressants and a few other meds. I actually found the concerta pretty helpful.. I remember feeling almost a "buzz" for about 2 hours after taking it, but it was a productive, motivated, positive feeling. That wore off after an hour or so, but it still seemed to help my depression throughout the day. I stopped it when I lost my insurance about a year and a half ago, but I've done pretty well since. My depression is mild at worst these days.
This past Tuesday, I saw my GP due to issues with chronic tiredness. After some things were ruled out, he mentioned possible chronic fatigue syndrome. I told him that the concerta had helped with my fatigue in the past, so he decided to perscribe 18mg concerta, which is only 1/3 of what I took for depression. Today is the second day I've taken it and I feel TERRIBLE. The two-hour "buzz" I get after taking it no longer feels positive or productive at all... I feel an internal stimulation or agitation that nothing seems to relieve. I'm feeling depressed and self-destructive like I havent in probably 2 years... It feels like an agitated depression, rather than the lethargic depression that was normal for me. I have an urge to just literally bang my head against a wall. I wont act on these self-destructive thoughts, but what the heck is this? I took the meds yesterday about 10am, and after the agitation I'm describing wore off, I found myself in a deep depression all evening that I couldnt seem to shake, even through a 12 hour work shift. It was hard for me to even function. I've certainly been in that deep depression before, but not for years... I cant imagine this is just coincidence.
Has anyone ever heard of such a thing? Why would this small dose, 18mg, of a stimulant no less, be doing this to me? I am petite and do tend to respond to small levels of meds at times, but I've taken this one before. It makes no sense. I see my dr again next week and will certainly talk to him about it. In the meantime, any thoughts?
poster:yellowbird01
thread:996150
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20110902/msgs/996150.html