[sunnydisposition]

I'm bipolar type 2, so the concern for mania from a stimulant is pretty insignificant. I' havent had much success in treating my very resilient depression by using traditional antidepressants, antipshychotics, atleast from the ones that i have used so far. i have read plenty case studies of ritalin having great success in treating bipolar depression and i really want to try this med. Any feedback, thoughts, suggestions you could share would be much much appreciated.

[Wander]

Since about July last year I have been taking Ritalin. Started on 10mg and slowly moved up to my current dose of 60mg. During that time I got very depressed and sometimes the Ritalin would lift it for a few hours but it was hit and miss. In the end I was put on an AD Cymbalta and that helped more than the Ritalin. Ritalin does come with a risk of mania. I got manic in October but my doctor thought it was the Cymbalta. I was temporarily taken off the Ritalin but still manic so taken off Cymbalta. Anyway, that is my experience.

[gayleggg]

I take Ritalin and can't say it's helped my depression much. It has given me somewhat more energy, though, which has helped me cope.

[zijax]

My pdoc thought I may be ADHD instead of BP so he put me on Adderall and I got manic so he said I was not ADHD and took me off of it immediately. I've never heard of Ritalin for bipolar depression bc it causes mania.

[Lost_in_the_woods]

I am dxd with adhd and MDD and BP2 and or BPD...they leave both on the books no one can decide which.. but I take adderall and it's helpful but I have to be careful cuz sometimes with lack of sleep or taking doses at off times it can cause hypomanic type reactions..but honestly I prefer a little hypomania to not being able to even crawl outta bed!
A friend of mine is BP1 with Add and was prescribed ritalin and Welbutrin went into full psychotic break!
So I guess be careful with stimulant mess as stimulants can induce mania and or psychotic symptoms even sometimes in people who are not BP.

I'm very sensitive to stimulants... Adderall made me full-blown manic. (Hallucinations and all that fun stuff.) However, I'm also very sensitive to ADs and meds in general, so I'm not surprised that Adderall messed me up. So maybe consider how sensitive you are to meds?

I might try Vyvanse, though, at some point, as I think it's metabolized differently than other stimulants. Never tried Ritalin after my Adderall experience.

[still_crazy]

Ritalin can be used for some symptoms of depression--lack of concentration, fatigue, lethargy, etc.--but I don't think its usually used as the only drug for depression, unless you're elderly and/or have physical health problems that make conventional antidepressant drugs a no-go.

Personally, I found that Focalin (a supposedly improved version of Ritalin) and Adderall both lifted my mood, but I still needed conventional drugs. I have a friend who takes a low-ish dose of Lamictal and a low-ish dose of Adderall XR, and that combination seems to help a good bit.

Just do be careful. Even people who don't have mood problems, psychosis, etc. can go full on manic and/or psychotic on stimulants, even at normal doses. Believe me when I say that prescription amphetamine psychosis can sneak up on you, and its not a fun experience.

Having said that, its between you and your doctor. I'd personally just try to keep the dose as low as you can and try to use long acting formulations, if you can.

[pirilin]

Sometimes they use Adderall or wellbutrin. I don't see a reason for not using ritalin.

[mossanimal]

Interesting thread. My diagnosis was 'Bipolar Atypical'.. but before that I thought I was more Bipolar II (and before that it was ADHD) since I've never really been text book full-blown manic. Maybe my clinic doesn't recognize Bipolar II.. I don't know. Anyway... I was on adderall before my diagnosis for ADHD and that wasn't good. But I'm in the same boat.. depression is the worst aspect for me. I tried Zoloft and that was a disaster because I was on it when I had a bad mixed episode (and hospital). So I'm also looking for an anti-depressant that works. The depression has such huge impact on my life compared to the hypo?mania. I'm hoping they will let me try Wellbutrin next.

Other than depression.. the attention/focus thing is still a big factor for me. Right now I'm hoping that tackling the bipolar will help with that. Stimulants certainly will not do it. I tend to focus on the wrong things with those.

[bioChE]

I've been on almost all of the prescription stimulants at one point or another. At present I'm on Vyvanse.

These meds do tend to improve the symptoms of low mood, although as someone else said they're not an AD per se. They act on energy levels, concentration, and the like. They don't necessarily lift mood - I think one of my former psychiatrists put it well, he called them a "mood brightener."

[Rjaye]

My doc felt I needed something more to add to sertraline and Lamictal, so he prescribed Ritalin.

I was better with the two drugs but the addition of the Ritalin was like the cherry on the med sundae. I felt like myself, and the low grade depression lifted. I have BP II, and the combination of the mood stabilizer, the AD, and the Ritalin is the first drug cocktail that worked for me.