[Tsunamisurfer]

At my last pdoc visit, she decided I was now stable enough (on Lithium & Valproate) to begin treating what looks like a life-long history of ADHD. I took 1 Concerta 54 capsule, and within 4 hours I was hypomanic and behaving like a total paw-paw. 4 hours later I crashed into depression and was fighting the sui demons again. pdoc is out of contact until Monday, so I decided not to take anymore Concerta until I get stable again. Sigh!

Has anyone got experience to share about using stimulants like methylphenidate while managing bipolar?

[Anneinside]

I have been taking methylphenidate 20mg for about two months and I like it. If I become manic, I am supposed to drop it temporarily to see if it resolves the mania. Right now I'm glad I have it.

[inthebelljar]

I'm on Concerta 54 and methylphenidate 20 as needed. I was on Abilify, but was taken off of that because I was still manic while taking medication. ADHD treatment is big for me, so it's better for me to find a stimulant that works and then find a mood stabilizer. I just started one called Saphris, and it works very well.

However, if your mood stabilizing meds are more of a concern, I would try talking to your pdoc about a different stimulant, like Vyvanse (which didn't work for me, but has a different chemical structure, it could for you!). Concerta has all sorts of side effects, but the stuff does work.

[dragonfly2]

You could also try a non-stimulant ADHD med like Strattera. My husband is on it and it is treating his ADHD well. He is not bipolar, however, so I cannot attest to how it would affect bp.

[Tsunamisurfer]

Originally Posted by dragonfly2

You could also try a non-stimulant ADHD med like Strattera. My husband is on it and it is treating his ADHD well. He is not bipolar, however, so I cannot attest to how it would affect bp.

Thanks Dragonfly.
I still haven't heard back from my pdoc yet. But I read up briefly on Strattera, and found the following article which warns against using it if you have Bipolar Disorder or psychosis. It mentions that suicidal behaviour is a risk.

http://www.drugs.com/strattera.html

But then again, my pdoc thought Concerta was risky until I was stable (evidently just not stable enough).

[sugahorse1]

I was put on Concerta; I think the 27. Didn't help me much and was hellish expensive. So I stopped it. I just use it as needed when I have a heavy day ahead

[dragonfly2]

I still haven't heard back from my pdoc yet. But I read up briefly on Strattera, and found the following article which warns against using it if you have Bipolar Disorder or psychosis. It mentions that suicidal behaviour is a risk.

Thanks for the info. This is good to know for my daughter. Her primary diagnosis is Asperger's Syndrome, but she also has ADHD and, they think, an underlying bipolar-like mood disorder. (Not quite full blown bipolar, but there's definitely something going on. Poor kid got both ends of our lousy mental health genetics.) She's taking Intuniv now (extended-release guanfacine) for the impulsivity that the ADHD brings, but nothing for the distractability and focus issues. Her pdoc has been thinking about adding something for that, but we're sort of sitting on it for now. She's also taking Lamictal and Wellbutrin. I'm interested in knowing what you and your pdoc decide to do. Hope you're feeling better.