davem
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Post by davem on Jan 21, 2016 12:30:34 GMT
For those who do not know, Xenidate XL is a slow release preparation of methylphenidate.
As I commenced with my medication this morning, I thought that it might be helpful to recount my experience(s) with the community.
In the days leading up to receiving my medication, I had experienced a low-level anxiety related to taking my meds. I was worried about the side effects and I was worried about taking drugs with abuse potential, given that I have a history of substance abuse.
I have been alcohol and drug free for 13 years and today's dose of methylphenidate is the first psychoactive drug, caffeine and codeine aside, that I have taken in that time.
Immediately after taking the drug, I began to feel anxious but, given the time scale, this was psychological rather than pharmacological.
I then decided to go for a walk, as I prefer to be alone when anxious.
After approximately 20-30 mins after taking the drug, I began to notice a psychoactive change. It felt like everything had slowed down. At first, this was slightly disconcerting, but I soon got used to it. I now feel relatively calm, and many of my fears have disappeared. I still feel a bit fuzzy/sleepy, and slightly disconnected from the environment but I suppose these feelings will disappear as I develop tolerance to the drug.
So far, then, it's been a relatively positive experience.
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davem
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Post by davem on Jan 21, 2016 19:17:20 GMT
As the day progressed, I felt odd at times, sometimes I felt okay, at other times I felt spaced out and nauseous. The side effects aren't particularly nice at times, I find it difficult to settle when I'm feeling sleepy and nauseous. I do hope they subside.
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davem
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Post by davem on Jan 22, 2016 12:52:41 GMT
Day 2
So far, the drowsiness/sleepiness is much less than it was yesterday. I don't feel as disconnected from the environment as I did yesterday.
However, the time course of these slow release Methylphenidate preparations, Concerta in particular, is such that peak plasma levels of methylphenidate are not typically observed until somewhere between 5 & 8 hours post-ingestion. Thus I might still encounter some of the not so pleasant side effects later in the day as I did yesterday.
Nonetheless, I feel less wooly than I did during the corresponding period yesterday.
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Post by vagueandrandom on Jan 22, 2016 13:30:58 GMT
Hi davem It seems to have pretty much the same effects as concerta had on me. To save you from reading my increasingly long and neurotic whitterings about concerta and all kinds of life things. . .I'll give you an edited version: First day kept zoning out and felt really weird, couldn't keep a thought in my head or get anything done. Kept visually focusing on small things and found it hard to break away. For the next week or so I was functioning a bit better, but really tired and sleeping better than I ever have in my life. Also tearful and my noise sensitivity became more pronounced. Extremities a bit tingly and typing worse and eyes a bit less focused. Sometimes a bit 'speedy' around lunchtime. Since then I've gone up to 36mg and I've had breaks from it due to "it's not having any positive effects" and tiredness/headaches/massive evening crashes followed by my brain waking up when the meds wear off at night, so racing thoughts/depression keeping me awake all night. The tiredness is still there, but the sleep is not. I have not experienced any clarity or increase in focus. I feel a bit more calm and my mood swings are less frequent, but not less extreme. Everyone's experience is different, but yours looks very similar to mine in the beginning at least.
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davem
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Post by davem on Jan 22, 2016 15:16:27 GMT
Thanks VaR, out of interest, has it ever been suggested by your psychiatrist to increase the dose beyond 36mg? My psychiatrist says he's aiming for 72mg eventually.
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Post by vagueandrandom on Jan 22, 2016 17:53:59 GMT
I moved cities so have been without a psych since September. I'm on *another* waiting list. My new GP won't prescribe controlled drugs, so I'll probably be doing without anything for a while.
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davem
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Post by davem on Jan 24, 2016 17:08:21 GMT
This is my third day of taking the medication. I took a break yesterday because I was with family and friends and I wasn't entirely comfortable with being about people whilst possibly experiencing side effects. Today has been the best day so far. I've experienced little to no sleepiness, I'm much less disconnected and I've not experienced any nausea yet. In terms of the effects on my ADHD symptoms, I feel slightly more tuned in to things but I'm still very fidgety and there's still lots of the aimless pacing. There's been no noticeable increase in my productivity yet. I've not been told which subtype of ADHD I have but I suspects it's the combined type and I'm led to believe that, on average, combined types typically require higher doses of methylphenidate than inattentive subtypes.
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davem
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Post by davem on Jan 29, 2016 21:03:37 GMT
This is the eighth day of me taking the meds. I'm much better in the day in terms of the side effect profile, but I feel quite anxious in the evenings.
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Post by tessaract on Jan 30, 2016 3:14:48 GMT
Hey, been on ritalin LA for a few weeks now and from what I have been reading it seems like the concerta is a bit more full on and lasts for 12 hours (am I right?) The ritalin LA lasts for 8 hours with peak effectiveness at 3 hours.
I do get anxious sometimes and feel quite annoyed for no reason or flighty as I would describe it when I have the evening crash but I have to keep telling myself that it is the drug and not me. I will try to stay calm, relax and watch a bit of not too taxing crappy telly and it will subside after an hour.
The benefits have far outweighed the side effects. Lack of appetite is noticeable but I do eat well in general and make the majority of my meals from scratch so at least when I do eat it is usually nutritious.
I wonder is the new meds you have, have the same peak effective times as the ritalin long acting (slow release), just seems way less intense than the concerta at 12 hours.
I'm on 40mg a day, some days I dont take it at all if I have no need to concentrate. If I'm gonna do tasks at home that requires me to be focused then I'll take 20mg. If I'm going to have a long busy day then I will take the 40mg.
Its nice to not have to take it every day, unlike the strattera.
Anyway hope I'm not rambling too much but I feel at the moment we seem to be on a similiar timeline regarding meds.
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davem
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Post by davem on Jan 30, 2016 8:39:47 GMT
Thanks for contributing to this thread tessaract. I start to feel peculiar approximately 8 hours after taking my meds. I'm not sure I can cope with the side effects.
The nausea had disappeared after a few days of commencing my treatment, though during the past two days I've felt mildly nauseous.
On top of that, I've had a slight headache, I can feel tension in my jaw, as well in my shoulders.
I also have a feeling which I struggle to describe; it's as if the position of my body in space doesn't correspond with where my brain thinks it is, such that when I move, I feel quite nauseous and anxious. It feels like vertigo.
I'm not sure I can persist with taking this medication, I've began to hole myself up in the spare room where my computer is - I am doing work on my PhD thesis - and I'm growing anxious when in the company of others because I feel flighty and fidgety. It's preventing me from spending time with my wife and 8 week old son and it's beginning to get me down.
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davem
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Post by davem on Jan 30, 2016 10:07:44 GMT
On occasion, I also experience a terrible metallic taste. I've decided that will take a day off from them, and go again tomorrow. I perhaps haven't been drinking enough water these past couple of days, whilst drinking far too much coffee. Sorting out my ADHD symptoms is far too important for me to give up on these meds just yet, so I'm going to go again tomorrow.
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Post by tessaract on Jan 30, 2016 11:19:01 GMT
If I were you I would replace the coffee with decaff, get a really fancy decaff and you will not notice the difference too much.
I dont drink any coffee really, only ocassionally but when I do I am really jittery, anxious and I often feel nauseous too and also coffee is extremely dehydrating and an appetite suppressant, that will cause a headache and it could be the case that the coffee was your go to stimulant before the meds and you may be still in that habit?
I've got a suspicion that if you drink a fair bit of coffee throughout the day it might be making your side effects a lot worse and could be the culprit. I also feel the crash at 8 hours, maybe you could consider that time before it happens and make sure you are in a place that is relaxing and calm and doesnt require you to be socializing or conversing too much with anybody else but your family.
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Post by vagueandrandom on Jan 30, 2016 11:38:41 GMT
Stick with it davem It took a good couple of weeks for the worse of the side effects to calm down for me. You should also try to take it every day and not have too many days off until it's settled and you're used to it. Your brain and body need to learn that they're going to keep getting it and to sort out how they're going to metabolise it without making you ill. Saying that, I *totally* know where you're coming from and keep thinking that it's not worth it. I had some 5mg IR for a while (ran out ages ago) because I was started on it 3 times a day, but kept forgetting at least 1 and went to concerta with a few left over. It was quite useful to take in the afternoon to smooth over the crash. You might like to discuss this with your psych. Gosh! you've got a lot on your plate with the PhD and a tiny baby. . . anyone writing a thesis will find it difficult to spend time with their family. Maybe you could schedule a time every day to spend together? set an alarm? OR schedule an hour where you stop work and go somewhere to relax, or go for a walk and let your wife know when it is and have a coffee together at the end of it when you're calmer. I agree that getting on top of the ADHD should be a priority for you. It will make your life more manageable in the future. I'm struggling with it too. I'm great at giving advice, but rubbish at accepting it, or following my own. Let us know how you get on.
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davem
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Post by davem on Jan 30, 2016 14:46:08 GMT
Thanks to both of your support, I really appreciate it. Taking psychiatric medication is an inherently unusual experience, so I really value your input.
VaR, the past 18 months have been pretty chaotic. I need to smooth these ADHD symptoms out considerably as they prevent me from becoming a productive member of society.
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davem
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Post by davem on Feb 1, 2016 16:05:04 GMT
I've taken my tablet yesterday and today. I've not consumed any caffeine, except for a glass of Diet Coke last night, and I've had no real side effects. I suspect caffeine was negatively impacting my experience with methylphenidate.
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