[Rose76]

I figured this is probably the forum most visited by P.C. members with the most experience using stimulant medications. Can you tell me a little about your experience?

I am having a horrible time with not being able to stay awake during the day. I'm desperately looking for something to believe in as a possible remedy - even just a partial remedy.

I'm depressed and anxious. I feel half-dead, until the evening rolls around. Last night I went to the local psychiatric center out of complete desperation. They seemed to think there was nothing wrong with me that merited a nighttime visit to the psych hospital crisis unit. They didn't actually tell me to "Get lost!" They said I could go on a waiting list and maybe see a pdoc in a month or two. So it was like, "Here's your hat . . . What's your hurry . . . there's the door."

I have little money, but I'm thinking of just going to a psychiatrist in the community - if I have to pay by taking out a loan. But to make that investment, I'm trying to find out, if there is really a drug - like a stimulant - that could make a real impact on my situation.

Maybe some of you have depression and/or sleep problems along with your attention deficit problem. So maybe the stimulant drug helped you with more than one thing?

I'ld be grateful for anything you can teach me about using stimulant drugs.

[Rose76]

I was prescribed Ritalin for awhile some years ago. The dose they put me on made my face feel tense. It was a miserable feeling. I was able to tolerate a lower dose. I don't remember it helping me a whole lot, but I was nowhere near as tired then.

[Miswimmy1]

Obviously, medications can affect people differently. My experience with stimulant drugs has been so-so. I can try to tell you a little bit of my experience on various ones.

Concerta (short acting): was in and out of my system too quickly (only lasted about 3-4 hours). Would work great and then it would seem to wear off over the duration of like, five minutes, which caused major migraines. Felt jittery as a side effect.

Concerta (extended release): lasted about six hours, worked fine, but caused skin picking as an anxiety side effect. The wearing off was more gradual but still caused headaches. Jittery still a side effect.

Ritalin: went through my system very quickly as well (3-4 hours). Had the same problem with it wearing off over a very short period and causing major headaches.

Vyvanse: Caused anxiety to rocket sky high. Seemed not very effective at treating ADHD symptoms.

Adderall: Caused anxiety to rocket sky high. Was effective, but couldn't stand the anxiety.

Focalin (extended release): This is the stimulant with which I have had the best luck. Virtually no side effects except a little bit of an increase in anxiety. Very effective at easing ADHD symptoms. Lasts about 6 hours. A generic version of this medication recently came onto the market. I found the generic to be ineffective for me in comparison to the brand name.

Strattera (Non-stimulant but thought I'd throw it in): No side effects. However, as a non-stimulant, it is not a quick acting (actually takes a month or two to build up in your system). It helped me but the effects were not as dramatic as with a stimulant.

In terms of your post, I'm not sure stimulant medication is the answer to you not being able to stay awake during the day. Are you getting enough sleep at night? For people with ADHD, stimulant medications actually calm us down. If you have ADHD and are already falling asleep, I'm not sure stimulants are going to wake you up.

[Rose76]

Thank you, Myswimmy, for your run down on the various meds. It's interesting to see how someone responded to a series of meds.

[Quarter life]

Daytime sleeping can be the result of many things...and is certainly a matter of concern if you are otherwise physically healthy. Before resorting to a stimulant drug that you most probably won't be prescribed unless you have a long history of ADHD or ADD symptoms, it may be more beneficial to ask your general practitioner for a full blood, urine & hormone panel. Our hormones can really screw with our health, especially if there is a deficit. These are simple non invasive tests that may well get you on the road to figuring out what is really going on.

Please be kind & generous to yourself Rose76.

[Rose76]

A year ago, I was referred to the sleep studies clinic. What you're recommending was done. It was discovered that I was severely anemic. That was addressed and remedied (with intravenous infusions of iron.) I've been closely followed medically, since. I'm not sure I know what you mean by a "full" panel of tests. Doctors don't typically send someone to the lab to have every-test-known-to-man done. But I have had reasonably comprehensive lab work done in the recent past. Generally speaking, I am quite healthy.

I have a lifelong history of very pronounced sleep irregularity. (My mother tried giving me some sweet port wine at night when I was a child. It didn't help.) I am post menopausal, which often heralds the beginning of significant sleep disturbance for lots of women. I think I took hormone replacement therapy long enough. (Though you've caused me to wonder, if going back on it might improve things for me.)

I've never been diagnosed with ADHD or ADD. However, in the past, when I was being treated for major recurrent depression, I was prescribed Ritalin by a psychiatrist. From what I read on the forums here, it's not rare at all for people diagnosed with depression to be prescribed stimulants. I know they are in the category of "controlled substances" and are addictive and dangerous.

What's really going on is that I have chronic depression, currently aggravated by the stress of being a caregiver to my S.O., as well as the decline in energy that comes with getting older. I am very lethargic a lot of the time, which is pretty common in persons with depression, especially when they don't sleep well. It lifts in the late afternoon and is often completely gone in the evening. So I have this daily pattern of needing a good deal of the day to pass before I can shake of the sluggishness that most people shed an hour after getting up in the morning. I feel absolutely desperate to break the hold of this cycle.

I've been awake now since 4 a.m. I went to bed last night at 11 p.m. Five hours of sleep does not leave me feeling well rested. I am tired, but I was not able to fall back asleep. I have a bunch of paperwork to catch up on (mail, filing, check books to balance, material to read.) Focusing on that seems overwhelming with how sleepy I feel. (Maybe I do have a problem with channeling my attention, like folks with ADD.) I thought perhaps a stimulant might help me use my wake time more productively.

[Tashu]

Hi Rose76

Modafinil ( Provigil) may be the right med for you. It's approved for narcolepsy & other sleep disorders. But, it's very popular among students & IT workers who take it to stay awake and concentrate on their work.

It's also prescribed off label for ADD. It's non-stimulant and non-addictive. It starts working 30 minutes after taking it and its effect lasts for about 8 hours.

The other medication that may help you is Strattera. It's approved for ADD. It's actually a norepinephrine inhibitor and takes about 6 weeks to start working. It's also non-stimulant.

I take both Strattera and Modafinil. They work wonders for me. Personally, I do not like stimulants because of its addictive nature.

Hope it helps.

Thanks,
Tashu

[Jackalcash]

Originally Posted by Rose76

I figured this is probably the forum most visited by P.C. members with the most experience using stimulant medications. Can you tell me a little about your experience?

I am having a horrible time with not being able to stay awake during the day. I'm desperately looking for something to believe in as a possible remedy - even just a partial remedy.

I'm depressed and anxious. I feel half-dead, until the evening rolls around. Last night I went to the local psychiatric center out of complete desperation. They seemed to think there was nothing wrong with me that merited a nighttime visit to the psych hospital crisis unit. They didn't actually tell me to "Get lost!" They said I could go on a waiting list and maybe see a pdoc in a month or two. So it was like, "Here's your hat . . . What's your hurry . . . there's the door."

I have little money, but I'm thinking of just going to a psychiatrist in the community - if I have to pay by taking out a loan. But to make that investment, I'm trying to find out, if there is really a drug - like a stimulant - that could make a real impact on my situation.

Maybe some of you have depression and/or sleep problems along with your attention deficit problem. So maybe the stimulant drug helped you with more than one thing?

I'ld be grateful for anything you can teach me about using stimulant drugs.

First to be said is they can be addictive and a person can develop dependency.....however the argument there is if someone needs a medication, such as an antidepressant, they will depend on that just the same....further......and most importantly.....there are a variety of stimulant meds available......each will work differently....I have been on "a lot of them before I found one that worked to some degree....also...each antidepressant will effect the stimulant in one way or another

[Rose76]

My daytime sleepiness and morning depression and sluggishness have gotten so bad, my life is getting more and more disorganized. I can't plan much because I never know when I'm going to be up to doing anything. At night I don't sleep more than 2 to 4 hours at a time. I'm starting to give up even trying to have any routine.

I'm desperate for some normalcy in my sleep-wake cycle. I'm supposed to see a pdoc sometime. I'm waiting for an appointment.

[Misssy2]

Other than medications that are prescribed by a Dr..since you stated your income is very low..as is mine...

I have found a really good sleep remedy...it is called OLLY...Restful Sleep if you google this..and order some...chew the 2 gummies when you get into bed...you will fall asleep quickly.

I did wake a couple times during the night when I first started it and was able to go right back to sleep...It works awesomely..I was up every hour before this medication..and felt pretty much like you do all day.

I also would become wide awake when it was time for bed..it was agitating..
Melatonin works well too...but for me Melatonin was not consistent..and if I did wake up many times on it and not get a good night sleep I felt horrible the next day...so I stick to the OLLY gummy bears.

Another thing that does work that is prescribed by Drs. is Gabapentin...I took 2 of those 100mg last night and I slept a really good 7.5 hours last night just getting up 1x.