Posting for traffic as the ND board is so quiet.
I’ve recently been changed from Elvanse to Concerta XL. I’ve been on Elvanse 30mg for a month, went to 50mg, then 70mg with no change in effect or side effects between those doses. In general I felt:
•more motivated
•very chatty around lunchtime which I don’t like
•constipation gone
•reduced appetite and lost a couple of kg (not a bad thing)
•a bit wired and flitting from task to task but actually getting them done
• calmer
• less irritable with dc who are also ND
• improved mood
• less anxious
• more able to cope with anxiety-inducing things like travelling to new places
• focused but can get focused on side quests too easily and have to drag myself back
• sleep improved-knackered by the end of the day but able to get up more easily
• increased joie de vivre
• full of ideas
• much happier in general although I don’t suffer from depression anyway
• palpitations but not tachycardia around 1-2pm if I take the medication around 6.30/7am. I hate this but find it’s either not there or much improved if I consume protein around noon.
•BP stable except when initially moved from 50mg to 70mg and had been without any meds for 4 days as had run out. BP went a little high but the next •day was fine.
•Heart rate stable and doesn’t go above around 78 at rest.
Changed to Concerta XL 18mg and started on 25th June in the middle of 30 degree heat and having to do lots of walking to and from school with Ds so a bit heat stressed. I hate the heat anyway. Was told I might not feel any effects due to changing from a high dose of Elvanse over to the starting dose of Concerta. Fair enough.
• first day-felt calm but nothing else all day until 7pm when I was really hungry and then felt really tired by 8.30pm. I get up around 6.15/6.30pm and am often tired by 8pm anyway but this was pronounced.
• the second day I had no energy, no motivation, no palpitations, had increased appetite and felt quite down which isn’t like me at all. My teenager was playing up but it was a proper melancholy and feeling very nostalgic and upset about the past. Again, this was unlike me.
• constipated
• gained 3/4 lbs in a week
• increased hunger beyond what I’d eat when not medicated
• irritable especially in the morning
• awake until 1am which is no good when getting up at just gone 6am
• after 7 days on the medication I requested to change back to Elvanse.
• less palpitations generally and no afternoon anxiety/palpitations for around an hour like on Elvanse
• focus is ok but still likely to go off on side quests.
I requested with my provider to return to Elvanse but he wanted to increase the Concerta to 36mg instead to give my body chance to adapt. I was worried about increased side effects so he said to continue on 18mg for a month. I agreed but woke the next day dreading the feeling from the medication. As it was the weekend I decided to go with his original plan of increasing to 36mg to see how I felt. I’m now on day 3.
• I was much better
• really motivated-got lots done over the weekend
• better mood than on 18mg
• not as irritable
• still constipated
• still hungrier but not as bad
• sleeping better
• no melancholy
• felt anxious in the evening
• palpitations a few times throughout the day but worse in the evening
• BP and pulse stable
• focused but still liable to go on side quests
• a little joie de vivre but not much
• not full of ideas
• constantly thirsty and subsequently needing to pee
Has anybody else experienced similar? Have you found your perfect or as near to perfect as possible medication and dose? I’m feeling disheartened that medication hasn’t been the miracle that many people say it is for them. My job is caring for my mum and doesn’t require a lot of focus. I do many different tasks each day so flit from task to task naturally as part of that. If I had an office type job I might see more of a difference maybe. I did attend a meeting at school last week and felt I could listen better but my leg was swinging, my fingers tapping and I was gazing around the room and VERY irritated by the amount of noise in the school hall before the staff started speaking. My noise tolerance is better on Elvanse but worse on Concerta.
I’m post menopausal so no changes in medication effectiveness due to my cycle. I don’t drink alcohol or caffeine or take any illegal substances. I don’t smoke or vape either so. My need for painkillers for chronic pain conditions was reduced on Elvanse too.
Overall I prefer Elvanse except for the chattiness and post-lunch palpitations but it’s not as good as I hoped it would be. I perhaps need to work on strategies to help as medication is only part of it. The summer holidays will be the perfect time to do this. It’s been so busy lately with lots of appointments for my Ds who has just been diagnosed with ASD and ADHD, and lots of school events and things I need to do for his end of primary and start of secondary school.