Amphetamine Tolerance, specialist wants to try concerta or similar

[Anonymous]

Hi I was wondering if anyone has had a similar experience and can comment.

I was diagnosed adhd as an adult about 4 years ago. The specialist who diagnosed it started me on ritalin 10mg instant release on a titrate up program – i honestly cant remember how much i think it was like 1 x 10 mg in morning and same at lunchtime then 2x in morning 1 at lunch, 2 +2 then 3 etc cant rememb er what amount i was at.

Anyway I was only on it for a few weeks as i found it made me emotional and weepy, and was also wearing off really fast

The specialist switched me to dex amphetamine instant release (where i live adderal isnt available its either ritilin, concerta etc or dexamphetamine.

Anyway the dex worked well to start, and lasted longer and didnt result in me getting emotional and weepy

However as time went on my tolerance went up till i was taking 3 t5mg tablets 3 times a day. Over time that became less effective and i am now at a stage where it has hardly any effect. i also find that i am really tired all the time, and have phases where i am overwhelmingly abnormally tired and have to sleep for like 2 days non stop to recover. Been tested for depressin etc and tried meds for that and when it happens they make no difference, plus i dont fit the usual criteria for depression and sleeping a lot.

Anyway i am seeing a different specialist (as i moved countries) who has many years experience in adhd – he wants me to try methylphenidate again. He said that he has patients who have tried it and said that one brand didnt work for them then another brand did – sometimes even the same dosage and release (ie maybe one brand ir 10 mg they hated and another brand of 10mgir they said worked well)

So he thinks that as I only tried ritalin 10mg instant release that it is worth trying other brands – here there is also concerta, a generic brand and something else – cant rmember what but he listed 4 for me. There are various strengths and delivery from instant release to sustained release to ar or something like that (something similar but slighly different to sustained release)

I do remember that the ritilin seemed to be, mg for mg, about half the strength of the amphetamine, and also at the time a friend who was a pharmacist told me that in her opinion and experience adults generally did better on amphetamine and kids on ritalin

Ive told the speciallist i will try it but only on the weekend as i cant afford to take it in the week and possibly end up emotional and weepy at work

So my question for anyone out there who feels they may have useful info for me, is:

Has anyone tried more than one version or type of methylphenidate (ie ritalin, concerta etc) and found one didnt work for them while another did? if so Id love to hear your experience

Has anyone gone from dexampletamine or amphetamine such as adderal to ritalin/concerta because the amphetamine that used to work, they have a tolerance to? If so did the methylphenidate help?

And finally I cant help but think – if i got tolerant to amphetamine, whats to stop the same thing happening with methylphenidate?

I started dex at 5mg tab the first dose was like woo hoo – – too strong i was kinda high and speedy, the second one the next day was not at all that way, and then i was titrating up to 2 x 5mg etc,. It seemed that i had to increase it rapidly or it stopped working. Some people say there is a ceiling to the tolerance and if your dr will increase your prescription till you hit it, you will eventually find a dose that will give you consistent effects for long term. Others say you just need more and moe and more

I havent heard if methynphenidate is the same – and worry that firstly he might put me on an amount which seems to work, and then a week or two later it is no where near enough

and second that even if that is dealt with and a good working dose is found – that eventually 1,2,3 years from now, it will become ineffective

Is this just a fact of life – is it just something I have to accept that after trying the other stimulant for adhd, i will probably be left with no effective treatment due to tolerance and there is nothing anyone can do about that?

REPORT ABUSE

[ipsofacto]

After taking Adderall for three months I found it was no longer having the same effect. I was also getting palpitations, and my blood pressure was increasing. In fact my ADHD symptoms were even worse. It now appears that I was magnesium deficient. Two months of Mg supplements, switching to drinking hard water, diet changes, and taking a high B6 multivitamin have made all the difference. Even so, my blood serum Mg is only just at the bottom of the normal range.

I believe I had been Mg deficient before; I had started to suffer some pseudogout after being on a diuretic for hypertension. I have read that stimulants do cause the body to use up more Mg.

REPORT ABUSE

[Author]

Posts