Reply To: New to meds and feeling speedy

[Chica]

I started on Ritalin 5mg 3 times a day for 2 weeks, then ramped up to 10mg a day for another 3 weeks before moving over to 36mg Concerta. I felt a little strained on the first day, slightly jittery but not efficient like you are describing! Second day I woke tired, but took my 5mg on time – 40 mins later I lay down for a nap and woke two hours later feeling completely refreshed from sleep for the first time I could remember. That was a revelation. It made me feel like the meds help me to do just the one thing I am actually doing rather than feeling confused and scattered.

I really think if you go too fast trying to modify which meds and which dose and all the possibilities, it gets confusing. I wrote notes about my impressions at different doses, partly because I know I forget myself and partly because I was worried about taking meds and getting stuck on them.

I have inattentive type ADD too, and we often don’t need particularly high doses. (See Adele Diamond for comparison between ADD & ADHD.) I think you will feel more confident starting low and going slow with each possible adjustment. WRITE NOTES ON YOUR TREATMENT!

We are all different, but the way I feel on 36mg Concerta now after more than a year is different than it was at the start. I like that I can rely on my own energy and attention. I always eat a protein rich breakfast with my meds because I found it really evens out the way I feel physically; before I worked this out I could feel over focussed and strained. I don’t feel hooked, if anything I have a problem forgetting to take my meds and wasting a day cos I only noticed I forgot when I find myself walking in circles and feeling overwhelmed.

 

 

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