Resource Ritalin made me feel more human

[charlottewilts]

so i know i just got started on Ritalin, i took my first dose this morning (18mg, ER) but i felt such a rush of dopamine it was amazing. it's been 4 hours now and i don't feel ecstatic but i don't feel as bad as i usually do either, when i'm not abusing anything. i should probably mention that i don't have ADHD, but i managed to convince a shrink that i do and he gave me a prescription. music sounds better. water tastes better. fuck, just lying on my bed and typing this feels better. i had enough concentration and willpower to finish something that i was working on, which i never would, i always give up at the first hurdle. i feel like i'm more eloquent and i actually want to socialise. i'll try reading or playing some video games tonight to see if it helps any with anhedonia. i'll also have to see how shitty the comedown will be... i'll update this tomorrow. but for now i actually feel somewhat like i imagine a normal human being would.

 

[terry_a_davis]

You sound like you're on stimulants. Do you take recreational drugs usually? Ritalin isn't the worst, it's extended release so you shouldn't get too much of a come down if you're not abusing it. I took ritalin for Adult ADHD for a couple months but as i'd abused drugs before i stopped taking it as i'd feared i'd end up a junkie again. You tricked the doc? I guess you're in the usa?

 

[WhiteDespair]

This same thing happened with Zyprexa for me. Things just startes to taste better and things became visually sharper (like angles and colors). If Ritalin works for you, cool.

 

[charlottewilts]

Do you take recreational drugs usually?

i will take/snort/inject/huff literally anything that'll make me high, i can't function if i'm sober. i have to be on something all the time

This same thing happened with Zyprexa for me. Things just startes to taste better and things became visually sharper (like angles and colors). If Ritalin works for you, cool.

i'm really glad Zyprexa worked for you! i haven't taken any antidepressants or antipsychotics personally because the side effects put me off


anyways it was pretty good overall. i had a dry mouth (drink tons of water anyway so it was manageable), mild nausea and anxiety for a short time, and i didn't have any appetite (loving this side effect very much, hope it lasts!) there were other things but i'm pretty sure those were just because i haven't been eating for a few days now (muscle cramps, blurred vision, drowsiness) it's been 12 hours so it's run its course. no terrible comedown, just a mild headache. hopefully i can get to sleep alright.

glad to finally have something to look forward to in the morning.

 

[terry_a_davis]

i will take/snort/inject/huff literally anything that'll make me high, i can't function if i'm sober. i have to be on something all the time

Sobriety can be really shitty, but being constantly high will catch up with you eventually (well it did with me). I went nuts eventually but you seem fine from your posts.

 

[Shero]

Im glad it helped you. Sadly im dysfunctional even on Ritalin, but i only take 15mg/day. Do you take more?

 

[charlottewilts]

but being constantly high will catch up with you eventually

oh i know, i plan to be gone before that happens

I went nuts eventually but you seem fine from your posts.

not really, i just prefer not to share the hell i'm going through daily on here.

Im glad it helped you. Sadly im dysfunctional even on Ritalin, but i only take 15mg/day. Do you take more?

just 15...? i got started on 18 right off the bat. how long have you been taking it, do you think you could ask your doctor to up your dose? i'll probably have to ask for 36mg pills soon, i develop tolerances easily

 

[Shero]

just 15...? i got started on 18 right off the bat. how long have you been taking it, do you think you could ask your doctor to up your dose? i'll probably have to ask for 36mg pills soon, i develop tolerances easily

I can take one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Even if i would do that, i still feel nothing. I hoped 30mg may be something i can do.
There is no psychiatrist available at the moment, so i can't ask. Just waiting patiently then.
Keep me updated if you try the higher dosage! Im interested in how it could affect you mentally.

 

[DepressoEspresso]

I take Vyvanse 50mg and Ritalin 10mg every day. Vyvanse helps with functionality, mood, and social interaction way more than Ritalin. I don't have ADHD either, my psychiatrist and I just gave up on anti-depressants. It's kinda funny to think about.

 

[Mr. Whippy]

I have ADHD-C and took Ritalin for a month, it made me a little more functional, but it didn't feel right. Altering your consciousness constantly, everyday for the duration of some hours just to crash again it's just terrible and i can't see myself coming back to it.

10mg (prescribed dose) made little to nothing, after that i abused it a lot, trying different dosages without medical attention. 20mg made me functional but very anxious and euphoric, 30mg made me feel almost maniac, after that i started using up to 50mg just to feel some kind of pleasure until i runned out pills.

Also, Ritalin gave me really bad chest pains and i don't want to waste my time with silly cardiovascular exams, because i know that they will find nothing and just switch to more expensive meds, making me pay more and prolonging the suffering even more.
Before i considered CTB, i was going to try Concerta, but i just thought "Do i really want to depend on this drugs every single day of my life?" the answer was no.

 

[pole]

so i know i just got started on Ritalin, i took my first dose this morning (18mg, ER) but i felt such a rush of dopamine it was amazing. it's been 4 hours now and i don't feel ecstatic but i don't feel as bad as i usually do either, when i'm not abusing anything. i should probably mention that i don't have ADHD, but i managed to convince a shrink that i do and he gave me a prescription. music sounds better. water tastes better. fuck, just lying on my bed and typing this feels better. i had enough concentration and willpower to finish something that i was working on, which i never would, i always give up at the first hurdle. i feel like i'm more eloquent and i actually want to socialise. i'll try reading or playing some video games tonight to see if it helps any with anhedonia. i'll also have to see how shitty the comedown will be... i'll update this tomorrow. but for now i actually feel somewhat like i imagine a normal human being would.

I have ADHD-C and took Ritalin for a month, it made me a little more functional, but it didn't feel right. Altering your consciousness constantly, everyday for the duration of some hours just to crash again it's just terrible and i can't see myself coming back to it.

10mg (prescribed dose) made little to nothing, after that i abused it a lot, trying different dosages without medical attention. 20mg made me functional but very anxious and euphoric, 30mg made me feel almost maniac, after that i started using up to 50mg just to feel some kind of pleasure until i runned out pills.

Also, Ritalin gave me really bad chest pains and i don't want to waste my time with silly cardiovascular exams, because i know that they will find nothing and just switch to more expensive meds, making me pay more and prolonging the suffering even more.
Before i considered CTB, i was going to try Concerta, but i just thought "Do i really want to depend on this drugs every single day of my life?" the answer was no.

question. i got a diagnosis for ADD/ADHD recently, not sure which yet cause i haven't done the tests fully but i think it's ADD.

how does ritalin differ from vyvanse? i'm on vyvanse and it definitely helps function better, more clarity to my thoughts, etc. i'm just curious on how ritalin might differ? how do you feel on it and hows you're anxiety and anxiousness while taking ritalin?

thanks in advance.

 

[Mr. Whippy]

how does ritalin differ from vyvanse? i'm on vyvanse and it definitely helps function better, more clarity to my thoughts, etc. i'm just curious on how ritalin might differ? how do you feel on it and hows you're anxiety and anxiousness while taking ritalin?

It REALLY depends on personal experience. Go to r/ADHD on reddit and you will see how much the effects vary from person to person. Ritalin making me anxious does not mean that Ritalin intrinsically makes people anxious, it's just something that happened to me.

In chemical structure, basically, Vyvanse is an amphetamine, it forces your brain to release more dopamine and norephnephrine. While Ritalin works as a dopamine and norephnephrine reuptake inhibitor, instead of forcing you brain to release more, it blocks your brain from retaining the dopamine and norephnephrine, making both chemicals circulate more on the brain. It gets the same results but with different mechanisms.

Basically, on doses larger than 10mg (10mg did nothing to me), i got very aggressive and restless, it did made my thoughts clearer (one of the ADHD symptoms i have is "racing thoughts", similar to those on bipolar people) but i got really hyper and wanting to get things done ASAP and if i didn't, i started going really frustrated, to the point of punching things.

The anxiety also came from the chest pains that i mentioned before, i got anxious because stims are known to go hard on your heart and blood pressure, so i got anxious that i was going to drop dead at any moment lol.

 

[pole]

It REALLY depends on personal experience. Go to r/ADHD on reddit and you will see how much the effects vary from person to person. Ritalin making me anxious does not mean that Ritalin intrinsically makes people anxious, it's just something that happened to me.

In chemical structure, basically, Vyvanse is an amphetamine, it forces your brain to release more dopamine and norephnephrine. While Ritalin works as a dopamine and norephnephrine reuptake inhibitor, instead of forcing you brain to release more, it blocks your brain from retaining the dopamine and norephnephrine, making both chemicals circulate more on the brain. It gets the same results but with different mechanisms.

Basically, on doses larger than 10mg (10mg did nothing to me), i got very aggressive and restless, it did made my thoughts clearer (one of the ADHD symptoms i have is "racing thoughts", similar to those on bipolar people) but i got really hyper and wanting to get things done ASAP and if i didn't, i started going really frustrated, to the point of punching things.

The anxiety also came from the chest pains that i mentioned before, i got anxious because stims are known to go hard on your heart and blood pressure, so i got anxious that i was going to drop dead at any moment lol.

hmm, i also do feel chest pains at times. but my anxiety also increases and i feel more anxious. i'm also an anxious person as it is. i guess that's what any amphetamine does, i might just have to find coping mechanisms when on vyv or even ritalin to calm myself down at times.

 

[Thanatos]

I've been on concerta 36 up to 72mg. At first I felt great as I was just getting an upper high but after a bit you're just a non functioning cokehead, not that theres anything wrong with that just a bad experience for me. Also I found I had bp2 after so I was probably just manic

 

[ctbUniquectb]

Yeah, highly recommend uppers as long as you can do them legally. The downside is:

being constantly high will catch up with you eventually

On the other hand, modafinil put my life together for a good solid 3 years, then it all fell apart either way. I suspect for those who weren't US Army Infantrymen in Iraq, and/or aren't autistic - read "just" have depression - that legally speeding is probably a good idea ...

...

... especially relative to suck starting a 12 gauge

 

[rntmss]

It worked amazing for me. Unfortunately, my wife had already left me by the time I found something that worked to help me with my instability.

I don't blame her. It must have been very hard on her to deal with my ups and downs and reckless behaviour. I just wish I had tried it sooner

 

[charlottewilts]

so it's been almost two weeks since i got started on it and i wanted to give a small update

been taking the same dosage every day in the morning (i try to do it at the same time each day but i forget, could be part of the reason why it isn't working as well in addition to eating very little or not at all) and the euphoric effects have faded. i still feel lethargic and unmotivated to do things but it's given me noticeable mental clarity, a longer attention span and the ability to retain more information. no wonder it's such a popular study drug! the only reason i started taking it anyway is for appetite suppression (and i must say, it works miracles) until i just lose my appetite naturally again, so i can't say i'm disappointed.

if you have no other options left, and you suffer from depression-induced brain fog or boredom eating, you could give methylphenidate a go. note that they might not prescribe it if they're aware you have a personality disorder, bipolar depression, OCD or schizophrenia. be careful as it could exacerbate symptoms like psychosis, paranoia, hallucinations, anxiety and impulsivity. it did for me, but it's been manageable so far. i'll CTB anyway but i'm glad i tried.